


Reloaded

by Sokaisama



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, W.I.T.C.H.
Genre: Amalgamation Crossover, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 07:11:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 184,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17893877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokaisama/pseuds/Sokaisama
Summary: Everyone yearns for a new life at one time or another. For one particular girl and her five, fellow friends, this desire comes to full fruition as they suddenly find themselves experiencing the adventure of a lifetime . . . or two.





	1. Prologue Teaser

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cassie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassie/gifts).



> A manga version has been created by a very good/old friend of mine, Cassie, or Evilness321 over on DeviantART, for those interested in checking out. :) Although not yet completed, what she's done so far is truly enjoyable (and, as always, appreciated). :)
> 
>  
> 
> \-------
> 
> This story/prologue (teaser) was created/written in April 2009.
> 
> \-------

 

Dear Diary,

I have to say, that even though fall is here again and thus, school is back in session, I'm actually looking forward to going back again tomorrow . . . even though this past, glorious three-day weekend (thanks to it being Columbus Day today) has already passed, and I have to take a stupid math quiz I am _not_ looking forward to the next day.

It's because I, Elyon Cahya (I absolutely _hate_ my middle name, by the way) Brown, am officially (and _finally_ ) a high school student! It's been a month since the school year has started, true, but it's honestly felt like just yesterday when I became a freshman.

Can you believe it? Me, in the ninth grade at last! And soon I'll be fifteen, too, once my birthday rolls around on Halloween! I am so going to try to convince my parents to let me throw a huge birthday/Halloween bash for all of my new fellow high school friends . . . well, once I make enough of them, anyway.

I've been dreaming of this, becoming a freshman, practically the entire scope of my existence! There's just always been something so . . . I don't know. _Mystical_ , or mature about high school kids, that's had me in awe since I was a little girl.

Of course, I suppose it's because they _are_ a bit more mature than those younger than they are, so that could be it.

But, still.

It's part of the reason why I've always also secretly idolized my older cousin, Kuēn, which is pronounced as "queen," she's that totally awesome.

Why couldn't I have _her_ name as my middle name, instead?

Everything about her just _oozes_ out "cool."

Her fashion sense.

Her interests and hobbies.

Her choice in friends.

Even each of the boyfriends she's had have always been so hip.

And even though she's in college now, Kuēn is _still_ very much the "queen of cool," which is no surprise.

When I was growing up, I told myself that once I finally got to high school, myself, I, too, would definitely have the stylish, popular high school lifestyle, and with the perfect boyfriend, all like she seemed to have.

Granted, that hasn't exactly happened yet . . . but it _is_ only a month into the semester.

Anything can happen, right?

Who, knows? Maybe tomorrow will be the start of something new and wonderful! A grand, exciting adventure, full of fun, friends, and even _romance!_

I could _even_ maybe eventually rival my _other_ all time favorite idol (besides my cousin, of course), _Cornelia Hale!_ Now, _she_ definitely has the perfect life, being a famous pop star and model, traveling all over the world - And she's only around the same age as _I_ am, too!

Ooh! _Or_ , if not a life like Kuēn or Cornelia's, maybe something nearly as adventurous as the illustrious, although elusive Sailor V! She's _sooo_ mysterious, but also very brave, the way she's always rescuing and defending the innocent, while fighting off the bad guys all on her own like that.

Hmm.

Which girl should I strive to be more like, though? If ever I was going to give myself a personality makeover of sorts, now would be the time, at the start of high school, where you're pretty much defined by everything you do or say.

Should I be like my "always with it" cousin, Kuēn, as originally planned . . . model (no pun intended) myself after the deliriously rich and famous Cornelia Hale . . . _or_ , adapt the persona of the courageous and powerful Sailor V. . . .?

I have no clue!

But I _do_ know one thing, though: It's getting late, and I still haven't finished studying for the math quiz tomorrow morning!

Wish me luck for a very smooth, successful day back to school, diary!

 

_Yours Truly,_

_Elyon B._

 

**\- End of Prologue Teaser**


	2. ℓ Act 1 ℓ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--------
> 
> This chapter was created/written in April 2009.
> 
> \--------

_RING!_

" _Gooood, morning, Heatherfield! It's seven-twenty-five! Davis, here, with my usual 'Early Bird' morning crew, bringing you the music, fun, and contest trivia you crave! It's another_ _beautiful_ _, warm and sunny typical Florida day this early Tuesday, and at sixty-two degrees already, you_ _know_ _it's just going to get better and better as the day goes on! With that said, before I bring on more of the tunes again, with the latest single from Cornelia Hale coming up, I've just got one more thing to say: Time to wake up and get goin', all you sleepy heads out there!"_

"Mmm . . . just . . . ten more minutes, Mom. . . ." Fourteen-year-old Elyon Brown groggily murmured, half asleep, from underneath her baby blue colored comforter inside of her pretty spacious bedroom. She let out a tired yawn, before shifting around to roll onto her other side, away from her similarly blue colored wall and towards her star decorated dresser where her alarm clock sat.

Letting out a relaxed moan, Elyon slowly cracked open her sleepy, periwinkle hued eyes and gave a soft smile as she looked at the time within a fatigued daze.

". . . . _Ahh!_ Seven-twenty-seven! Holy geez, I'm _late!_ " she screeched within sharpened realization, immediately bolting upright and springing out of her bed at near lightning speed. "I can't believe I overslept! I _knew_ I shouldn't have stayed up, writing within my diary and chatting with Alchemy online afterwards, putting off my studying for today's Algebra quiz until the very last minute!"

Within the next several minutes, Elyon was already dressed (albeit clothes already worn the previous day and were now a tad wrinkly as a result) and ready to go, with no time to shower or properly comb out her shoulder length, dishwater blonde locks before styling them into her usual and simple pigtails.

She stole a quick glance at her reflection as she raced out of her bedroom and down the hallway, and grimaced at the sight.

"Ugh . . . not exactly off to a great start for the new life I'm determined to make for myself, am I?" Elyon muttered to herself with a scrunched up expression upon her fair countenance, gazing at her chaotic-looking appearance. Reaching up to smooth down her disheveled hair, she looked back at the clock upon the wall behind her and gasped. "Yikes! The warning bell has already rung! I better book it, if I wanna make it in time for the quiz - Which I can't believe I actually _want_ to!"

Forgetting about her overall appearance, if only for that moment, Elyon, with her book bag now in hand and sandals quickly thrown on, scurried out of the front door and just managed to snag a green apple from off of the kitchen counter in passing.

"I can make it, I can make it, I can make it. . . ." the petite blonde chanted breathlessly to herself in between bites of her juicy and slightly tangy flavored fruit, running as swiftly as she could down the street and towards the direction of her new school, Portrait High School. "Mom could have at _least_ woke me up before having gone to work this morning!"

It was true. Elyon's mother, the laid back as she was authoritative, Eleanor, usually woke up around six o'clock every weekday morning, before heading off to her occupation as an art curator by seven. And given that the girl's more strict (at least, when it came to academics) but still humorous father, Thomas, an astronomer, was already out of the house by five-thirty, it could have been helpful to her if her mother would have popped in her head inside of her only child's room to see if she was already up and ready for school today.

" _Figures_. Now, if I don't do well on another Algebra quiz again, I'll _never_ hear the end of it from Dad! Why can't he just get that I'm an _artist_ \- kind of, anyway - like Mom, not a mathematical and science whiz like _he_ is?" Elyon lightly asked herself within tired huffs as she rounded a corner, groaning heavily at the thought of having to endure yet another lecture from her father about the "importance of math and science within everyday life."

Shaking her head in order to break free from what could quite possibly become her potentially near future, provided she truly _wouldn't_ do well upon her quiz, Elyon took a hurried, last bite of her apple, before perfectly tossing it into the outdoor receptacle bin housed outside of a convenience store as she passed.

"There we g - _Ahh!_ " the high school freshman yelped out in alarm, suddenly toppling over as her sandaled feet then tripped over something soft and relatively small. Rolling over with a pained moan, Elyon slowly sat up as she tenderly rubbed at her slightly bruised nose. "Oww . . . this is _definitely_ not my day. . . . What _was_ that?"

Reaching out to collect her belongings, Elyon turned around and was surprised to see what looked to be a bluish-gray colored cat, curled up upon the pavement with its eyes closed. It wasn't moving; however, it also did not appear to be dead, as Elyon could vaguely catch sight of its long, whitish gray whiskers lightly twitching.

"Oh! My gosh, I'm so sorry, little kitty! I honestly didn't see you!" the blonde gushed in apologetic concern, immediately crouching back down to effortlessly scoop up the fluffy feline into her arms. It was then that she was able to get a better view of its face, and noticed what looked like a bandage of sorts peculiarly placed upon its forehead. "What is this? Who would do such a thing to such an adorable cat? It's all right, sweetie - I've got you."

Tentatively stroking the cat's slate gray colored back in attempts to both calm and distract it, Elyon, using her other free hand, gingerly peeled off the adhesive strip from off of its head as it then at last opened its tea green tinted eyes and blinked.

"There, now. Isn't that better? I - Ack!" the dishwater blonde began with a warm smile, before gasping in alarm as the previously afflicted feline promptly pushed at her chest before climbing up and over her shoulder to jump back down onto the ground.

Dusting herself free of cat hair and various speckles of dirt and gravel, Elyon whirled around, now with a slight frown upon her face, to gaze after the animal, which she'd presumed would have then began to run off. However, much to her surprise, it remained, merely staring back up at her, almost expectantly.

For a few moments, Elyon mimicked its actions, or lack thereof, as it were, and simply looked back at it in perplexity. She had effortlessly become so caught up within the moment, that she hadn't even yet taken notice of the curious looking, seven-pointed and light green colored star bald spot adorning the cat's forehead where the bandage had been.

It wasn't until the abrupt sound of a passing car horn startled them both that Elyon at last broke free of her unexpected stupor. Blinking her soft blue eyes for a few moments, she then immediately looked down at her blue colored wristwatch to check the time and saw that it read seven-thirty-nine.

"Ahh! What am I _doing?_ I don't have time for this! I'm _super_ late now!" she cried out to herself within dread, resuming her previous run and rushed past the discarded feline without another word, already forgetting about it.

It, on the other hand, remained within its spot, looking after the retreating teenager with interested, almost knowledgeable eyes and a slow swish of its long and slender tail, before proceeding to follow after her. . . .

* * *

"Wow . . . I can't believe you scored a _fifty_ on the quiz this morning, Elle - Your dad is gonna _freak!_ " Elyon's newly pixie cut, russet haired best friend, Alchemy Selwyn gushed at lunchtime later on that day during sixth period. The blonde seated next to her at their usual round table for the last month now since school had started, outside within the high school's vast courtyard, gave the newly turned fifteen-year-old a look of sharp disdain, causing Alchemy to give a sheepish grin in response. "S-Sorry! But, I mean, you have to admit that you know it's true."

"Of _course_ I know it's true, Alchemy! Why do you think I'm enjoying my last day - My last _meal_ on earth, before I head home to have my father _cremate_ me once he sees this stupid grade?" Elyon muttered with a sharp scowl, looking from her comrade since elementary school, to the sheet of paper lying upon the table's smooth surface before her.

She gave a slight wince as she looked it over for what felt like the millionth time that day, and took in the frequently appearing red marks of incorrect answers which riddled nearly the entire page. And, perhaps the most dreaded sight of all, was the large, blatant and undeniable "fifty" which gleamed back up at her with a red, almost devilish glare.

Alchemy gazed at her best friend with sympathetic, electric blue colored eyes after taking a small bite of her turkey breast sandwich, and smiled softly.

"Well . . . at least it's mainly because you didn't get to finish the entire quiz as the reason why you got such a low score. Maybe your dad will take pity on you for that," she weakly tried to console the other girl, before taking a sip of her beverage.

Elyon merely shook her still quite disheveled head, having long since abandoned her hopes of impressing the older student populace (if only for one day, at least) with her would be fashion sense, and sighed heavily.

"No, way. He'll only just _completely_ look right over that and go straight to the fact that I had woken up late this morning in the _first_ place. I'm honestly surprised that Mr. Cedner even _let_ me take the quiz at all even though I came in late, as strict as he is. You are _so_ lucky he likes _you_ , at least, which is why you got an _eighty_ on yours," she said with another exhale, before taking a rough, savage-like bite out of her hamburger.

Alchemy giggled at this, with a slight roll of her eyes while patting her friend upon the shoulder.

"That's not true. I still get him in the morning like you do, remember, when he's still extra surly. I just . . . _I_ don't know. I kinda just get the lessons he teaches, is all," she delivered as delicately and as modestly as she could, gradually beginning to feel guilty as another thought had then come to her. "I probably shouldn't have chatted online with you last night, even though we both needed to finish studying. I know that you're not exactly . . . well, the greatest at math at times, so I could've waited until today to talk to you again. Sorry, Elle. . . ."

Elyon waved a hand within dismissal upon hearing this and smiled cheerfully at the other girl, trying her best to put the Algebra incident behind her . . . for now.

"It's all right, I guess. It's not like it's your fault the math and science gene from my dad completely bypassed me when I was born, after all. I'll just approach him like an adult, and have a nice, calm discussion about this and -"

"- Hey, there, ladies! _Whoa_ , Elyon! What's with the crazy look? You usually are better put together than this. _Yikes!_ B-But, a-anyway! How did you guys do on Mr. C's quiz in Algebra class this morning? I just took it last period, and got a ninety-eight! I'm _so_ upset with myself that I'd actually made such a careless mistake like forgetting to put a negative sign in front of the two within the answer to that one quadratic equation," the girls' childhood friend (sometimes regrettably so) and Elyon's neighbor, fourteen-year-old Martin Tubbs, suddenly called out from behind them, before plopping himself down at their table with his own lunch.

He gave each girl a broad grin in greeting, steely blue eyes twinkling behind his round, small framed and silver tinted eyeglasses.

" _Ugh_. You make us _sick_ , Martin, with your constant bragging about how wonderful and _smart_ you are, and then have the nerve to vent about, 'Oh, no! I was _two_ freaking points shy of a perfect score!'" Elyon hissed toward the cornflower haired boy now blushing profusely from across the table, choosing to ignore his comment about her unkempt appearance. She then swiftly lifted her failed exam from off of the table and stuffed it blindly into her book bag.

"Yeah, brainiac - Have a little sympathy, will you?" Alchemy chimed in with a disapproving frown, chucking one of her raw baby carrots at her male friend.

Grimacing after having been unexpectedly hit by the vegetable projectile, Martin lightly picked it up from off of his lunch tray where it promptly landed and placed it to the side.

"H-Hey! I'm _sorry!_ I wasn't trying to be upsetting about it, you guys. I didn't even know that you guys failed yours, and -"

"- _Whoa_ , hey! I _didn't_ fail! _I_ got an eighty; _Elyon's_ the one who got the _fifty_ . . . ooh. _Sorry_ , again, Elle!" Alchemy immediately apologized once more after having realized her mistake, smiling awkwardly at the now blushing Elyon, who stared back at her with an incredulous glare.

" _God!_ Thanks _a lot_ , Alchemy! Tell the whole _world_ about my horrible grade, why don't you!" she cried, her friends able to catch tears of embarrassment beginning to form within her soft eyes, before she then buried her face within her hands within defeat.

Both Alchemy and Martin sighed gently at this, having gotten used to their mutual childhood friend's slightly frequent tendency for over-theatrics from time to time, as well as the occasional crying fest she would produce over certain matters.

"I-It's okay, Elyon, _really_ . . . it won't be so bad. You didn't get to finish the quiz, and were up late studying, remember? You probably would've done well if you'd had had the proper chance," Alchemy tried her best to console her best friend further, gently caressing the back of her wrinkled tank top, while Martin reached across the table to timidly pat his neighbor's hand. "Maybe . . . maybe you could take a marker and go over the five, to make it look like an eight? Hey, Marty - _You're_ always 'Mr. Prepared.' Do you have a red pen or marker on you?"

Martin gave a disapproving frown of his own towards his friend and shake of his head as he recoiled his hand away from the still sniffling girl before him, and took a quick sip of his soda before responding.

"Nope, I don't. And anyway, that would be dishonest, and to a multitude of people: Mr. C, Elyon's parents, and even Elyon, herself. And besides, if she got a score as low as a fifty, I'm sure there are _loads_ of red marks all over the page which she wouldn't be able to hide from her folks, as well," he replied a bit too matter of fact-like for the girls' taste, immediately regretting his choice of words as he watched the both of his friends then award him with the most icy, piercing look he had ever received from them throughout the course of their friendship. "Uh . . . oops. S-Sorry, again, you guys. Just trying to help. . . ."

"Yeah, and you _have_ helped, Martin . . . only in succeeding in making me feel a whole lot _worse!"_ Elyon moaned with a light smack to the sole male's arm, before stealing his napkin to blow her nose with.

Suddenly, Alchemy smiled knowingly as she turned her entire body to face her best friend continually trapped within self pity and misery.

"Well, _I_ know what will make you feel a lot better, and forget all about this pesky little quiz!" she said with a growing grin, playfully tugging at one of Elyon's light blonde pigtails.

Martin gave a thoughtful look before venturing a guess, whether or not it was wanted by either girl.

"Finding her a math tutor? _Yow!"_ he asked innocently, before crying out in abrupt pain the moment Alchemy blindly stepped onto one of his sneakered feet from underneath the table. " _Boy_ , you guys are really laying into me today! I think I'm gonna go finish my lunch over there with the chess club, instead, and talk to you both later. F-Feel better, though, Elyon!"

Waiting until after the flax haired boy had gone, Alchemy cleared her throat and began again.

"Now that that little nuisance is out of the picture, let me try again. What is the one thing which usually cheers you up instantly? Besides drawing, eating ice cream, or daydreaming about boys, too," she spoke with another broad smile after having torn her eyes away from Martin, who now sat, at an elongated table within the distance, with a gaggle of students both male and female, alike, who each welcomed him warmly and nearly all wearing glasses like he.

Now feeling a lot more calm, although her face still retained its reddened hue from her previous crying, Elyon thought for a moment, before suddenly squealing with glee.

"Ooh! Listening to one of my favorite Cornelia Hale CDs!" she cried happily, her formerly gloomy mood effortlessly dissipating and being replaced by her usually positive and cheerful disposition. She then paused for a bit, as her brilliant smile faltered a tad. "Oh, but wait. I was running so late this morning, that I didn't even have time to snag my CD or MP3 player. So, I guess that's out. . . ."

Alchemy merely shook her copper colored head in disagreement, seizing both of her friend's hands and squeezing them within furthered excitement.

"No need! Because have _I_ got a surprise for _you!"_ she said with a giggle, happy to see the former light returning to Elyon's soft blue eyes as she awaited the other girl to continue. "I wanted to tell you this last night while online, but decided to wait until today to tell you in person. But, _anyway!_ You know how my dad's been busy lately, promoting his new jewelry collection? Well, he recently teamed up with that hot new and popular store, 'Forever Youthful,' to display their latest line of new clothes for the fall and winter season! And guess whose clothing line is also going to be featured?"

Elyon's eyes widened nearly beyond their limit at this.

"Oooh! No, _way!_ You mean your dad's _actually_ going to get to be one of the first people to witness some of the new clothing Cornelia Hale's designed? _Ugh_ , I wish _I_ were a famous jeweler like him! Then maybe I could get to do business with one of the world's most popular teen idol sensations," she swooned with a smile, clasping her hands together after Alchemy had released them.

"Maybe, but I'll do you one better in the meantime: Because Cornelia's apparently a fan of my dad's jewelry, she personally sent him a note which came yesterday, complimenting him about it, and giving him free merchandise from both her clothing line as well as music albums, autographed and everything! She's _even_ going to wear one of his new necklaces for her next music video, he told me!" Alchemy gushed with tittering pride for her father, causing Elyon to emit another squeal in merriment. " _And_ , the most important part, guess where all of that free merchandise is going? Yeah! To the both of _us!_ Well, to _me_ , since Dad's not a girl and my mom's too 'old' to wear the type of clothes Cornelia designs or listens to the music she sings, not to mention is away on business right now, anyway. But as my best friend, you _totally_ are going to share within this moment with me later this afternoon at Dad's exhibit!"

Elyon nearly knocked the other girl over as she promptly enveloped her within a fierce embrace, she was that overwhelmed with jubilation at the unexpected news.

"Oh, my God! I love you _sooo_ much, Alkie! This _definitely_ makes me feel a lot better over having failed my dumb quiz!" she cried happily, sharing within the fit of giggles Alchemy had then fallen under. Suddenly, Elyon stopped laughing as a sobering realization had then come to her. "Oh . . . but I can't bring any of those gifts home with me, though, even _if_ they're free. There's no _way_ my dad will _ever_ let me keep them once he sees my grade. . . ."

Alchemy bit her lip in thought, after promptly ceasing within her own laughter.

"Hmm . . . yeah, that might be true. But, maybe I can hold them for you until after things have cooled down with him! Then, afterward, he'll no longer care!" she ventured with a returned grin, watching as Elyon did the same.

"Brilliant! Thanks, Alchemy! You're the _best!"_ the blonde complimented with a relieved sigh, rising to her feet as the bell had then rang, signifying the end of that particular period. "Oh! But isn't your dad worried that his exhibit might be robbed? After all, there _have_ been a string of robberies pertaining to jewelry stores lately."

Alchemy shook her head as she, too, rose from her spot, collecting her belongings to take with her and empty food containers and wrappers to throw away into the trash.

"I know! Isn't it scary? But, surprisingly, my dad doesn't even seem fazed by that. In fact, he seems a lot more confident within his business lately, even to the point of offering a tremendous, opening discount to his new jewelry!" she revealed, tossing her brown paper lunch bag into the nearby trash as the two approached, Elyon then doing the same for her partially empty paper plate. "The prices are _so_ low, that even teens like _us_ could afford it! You should definitely come with me after school to see the exhibit set up and watch the models 'Forever Youthful' sent over to practice wearing and modeling off both Cornelia's clothing and Dad's jewelry for later on tonight!"

"If the prices for some of your dad's awesome and impressive jewelry really is as low as you say it is, then you _know_ I will! But, I think he should still be careful, and maybe hire a lot of security to be on the safe side," Elyon cautioned with a worried glance at her best friend, as the duo headed back inside of the school to their next period classes.

Alchemy nodded in agreement, then waved a slightly dismissive hand into the air as she gave her slightly shorter friend a confident grin.

"Yeah, he has all of that taken care of already. Besides! Even if someone actually tries to steal any of my dad's jewelry, I'm sure Sailor V will be right there, waiting and ready to stop them, just like she has for every _other_ criminal and would be thief!" she remarked boisterously, speaking of both hers and Elyon's most cherished superhero with the utmost respect and pride.

"Definitely! How could I forget about that? The ever faithful 'ally of justice,' Sailor V, is _always_ around to swoop in and save the day like the brave heroine that she is!" Elyon added with a nod of approval and daydream-like grin, as she and Alchemy reentered the building. "It must be something spectacular, to boldly fight crime and help protect innocent people like that. . . ."

"You know, I heard that Sailor V is actually in affiliation with the FBI, secretly helping them out with their various cases!" the girls suddenly heard Martin comment from behind them, before moving to walk alongside Elyon.

"Man, are _you_ on a roll today for _eavesdropping_ ," Alchemy muttered towards the returned male blonde, giving him a flat look. Elyon, meanwhile, bestowed upon her neighbor an expression of curiosity, as she prompted him to continue.

"Huh? _I_ never heard anything about that before, Martin, and next to Alchemy, I'm always on top of _anything_ related to Sailor V, from video games, toys, to news coverage!" the pigtailed girl slightly bragged, feeling a bit pleased that she could at least one up her male friend about knowing more about the infamous sailor suited crime fighter than he, if not about mathematics, instead.

However, Martin merely shook his sunlit colored head at this, already opening his mouth to offer a rebuttal as the trio walked down the crowded, busy hallway.

"No, no, it's _true!_ One of my friend's mother works for the CIA, and he said that he overheard her telling his dad all about how Sailor V is cooperating with both them and the police force in catching all those bad guys!" he revealed excitedly, reaching up to push back his glasses.

Alchemy scoffed loudly at this.

"Yeah, but here's a thought, 'Mr. Know-it-All:' If Sailor V were really working for the government, basically, and your friend's mother is in the CIA, do you _really_ think that she'd just let something that obviously top secret and important out, even to her own husband? When it comes to classified things like that, both the FBI _and_ CIA are always very 'hush-hush' - _Especially_ with their loved ones, because they know that their nosy little son may happen upon the information and go blab their mouths to gullible people like _you_ ," she teased with a roll of her blue eyes, reaching behind Elyon to lightly tap the back of Martin's head in further jesting.

Elyon giggled at the display between her two friends, nodding slightly in agreement with the other girl.

"Yeah, that's true, I suppose . . . I mean, if it _were_ true, then the media would have somehow found out and leaked it to the public by now, I'm sure . . . not to mention that Sailor V or even the police would have a lot more enemies on their hands if any of them knew that they were working together," she spoke thoughtfully, as the trio rounded a corner.

"Maybe . . . but, you guys gotta admit that it _would_ make sense if it _is_ true, though. You know, since lately jewelry store burglaries and other crimes have been happening one after the other, and either Sailor V or the police are always right there to stop the crooks from getting any further with their loot," Martin reflected, after rubbing his head from Alchemy's blow. "I wonder what the fascination _is_ with jewelry and the necessity to steal it lately? In any case, I'll catch you girls later, all right? And cheer up over your quiz, Ellie! You'll get it next time, I'm sure!"

And with that, Martin gave a quick wave towards his two oldest companions, before disappearing into the first classroom they had come to on the right. Briefly returning the gesture, both girls continued on within their journey to their respected classes, as Elyon spoke again.

"While I appreciate his confidence within me, I really wish he hadn't advertised it like that," she murmured with a faint blush in reflection of her momentarily forgotten Algebra exam, as Alchemy gave her a light squeeze upon her arm.

"Hey, don't sweat it, Elle. It's Martin, remember? He's _always_ speaking before he thinks, like right _now_ , about how he can't understand why anyone would be trying to rob jewelry stores in the last couple of weeks. I mean, _hello!_ It's _jewelry!_ Who _wouldn't_ want to steal some if they could get away with it? And I should know: I wish _I_ could just take half of my dad's collection without consequence most of the time, myself," she said with a giggle, causing Elyon to do the same as the pair stopped before a broad staircase. "Anyway, he's still right, though; next time, you'll knock Cedner's next quiz or test right out of the park! We'll both help you study if we have to, even, okay? Until then, though, I'll meet you after school to head over to my dad's exhibit, all right? And do what ol' Marty suggested: Cheer up!"

Elyon smiled generously at the darker haired girl and nodded in appreciation, before giving her a quick hug.

"Okay, okay, you guys win; I will! And thanks again for inviting me along, Alchemy - It'll do me some good to have an active excuse to stay away from my house until I have to see my _own_ father," she remarked with a slight shiver at the thought, releasing her friend from her embrace. "I'll see you later, then!"

Elyon hung by the staircase for a little bit, watching Alchemy ascend them, before carrying on a little further down the hallway to her own seventh period class, art, which was currently her most favorite.

_Just one more period to go after this, and then I'll be surrounded by all the free merchandise and discount jewelry I could ever ask for . . . even if I can't actually buy or bring any of them home with me just yet_ , she thought to herself in growing anticipation, as she walked into her class just as the second bell had rung.

* * *

"Now, I want you to make sure that Yvette remembers to raise her hand high enough in order to properly showcase my fourteen karat, white gold diamond and ruby cluster ring she'll be wearing along with that cherry colored, halter maxi dress of Ms. Hale's later tonight, all right?" Alchemy's father, Mani, calmly instructed one of his apparent assistants from where they stood within one of the many audience rows inside of the Heatherfield Tarmo Exhibit Hall.

Both he and the rest of his crew were hard at work, carrying out last minute preparations for that evening's show exhibit, while the models of 'Forever Youthful', their photographers and their directors were currently busy conducting a final dress rehearsal.

"Yes, sir, Mr. Selwyn. I'll be sure to go let the director know right now," Mani's assistant, Alexis, replied with a nod, before turning to walk away from her boss and down the aisle to speak with the director further down below, who was busy consulting with his various models moving about the elongated, black colored runway in the distance.

The appreciative smile shining forth upon Mani's tanned face as he watched his employee go suddenly began to grow dark, almost sinister in appearance.

_. . . . Very good . . . because everything must be absolutely perfect for tonight, when all of you and everyone else attending this exhibit gives me all of your precious life energy!_ he thought to himself in secret, malicious delight, lightly rubbing his slightly calloused hands together in further contempt.

"Hey, Dad! We're here!"

Mani gave a slight jump and gasp in alarm, fearful he might have been overheard, before immediately putting on a cheerful disposition as he whirled around to the newcomer he recognized to be his daughter.

"Alchemy, sweetheart! And _Elyon!_ So glad you could come, as well!" he greeted warmly, a sharp contrast between his previously darkened, mysterious demeanor, as he watched the two high school students rush towards him within the aisle.

Elyon smiled shyly back at the older man and lightly blushed before responding.

"Thank you for having me, Mr. Selwyn - I really appreciate it, _and_ the free gifts sent over by Cornelia Hale you're letting me share with Alchemy," she said, watching her best friend receive a generous hug in greeting from her father, before then receiving one from him, herself.

Mr. Selwyn shook his raven colored head, as he gazed down at the much shorter individual before him upon releasing her from his embrace, and smiled.

"Not at all, Elyon! I've known you since you were yay-high, only reaching up to my thigh!" he affectionately teased with a wink of one of his dark blue eyes, chuckling lightly at the sight of the blonde's growing rouge upon her naturally creamy hued cheeks. "Besides, Ms. Hale was so generous within her donations, that there is more than enough for both you and Lil' Al, here, to distribute amongst yourselves."

Alchemy promptly groaned within her own abashment upon hearing her father make use of one of his pet names for her.

" _Daaad_ , please. I'm in _high school_ , now; enough with the 'Lil' Al,' okay?" she remarked with a grin, sticking out her tongue towards the older man, before setting down her book bag and other belongings onto a nearby auditorium seat. " _Anyway_ , I was telling Elle earlier all about how you also mysteriously marked down a lot of your jewelry, new and old, too. This is the first that I can remember, anyway, of you ever doing something like this before."

At this, Mr. Selwyn's pleasant simper faltered for a moment, which neither girl seemed to have noticed, before swiftly strengthening it and playfully waved a strong hand into the air within dismissal.

"Well, hey! I'm entitled to change my mind and shake things up a little, aren't I? Besides, if Ms. Hale can afford to be so generous, then so can _I!_ After all, we _are_ both business people, aren't we?" he spoke with a relaxed and friendly air, turning his attention onto the runway and models down below from where the three were. "Now, I'd better go down there and make sure everything is continuing to run smoothly. But feel free to stick around, watch some of the models perform, or head backstage to my greenroom to peruse the free products I've left in there for your arrival, all right?"

"Okay, Dad! We'll see you later, then! And good luck!" Alchemy responded with a smile, both she and Elyon waving goodbye towards her father as they watched him leave.

"Yeah, Mr. Selwyn! Thanks again!" the dishwater blonde added with an appreciative grin, turning her attention onto the various, slender models in the distance before addressing her friend. " _Oooh_ , look at them, Alchemy! They all look so _gorgeous_ , even from way up here! And in those new clothes of Cornelia's they're each wearing? They're absolutely _breathtaking!_ I can only hope to look _half_ as good when _I_ get older. . . ."

Alchemy promptly nodded in agreement, watching the professionals down below on the runway for a few moments, before turning around to pick up her belongings once more.

" _Tell_ me about it! But, hey! Why wait until we're older to look that good, when we've got a whole bunch of free clothes and other goodies to try on just _like_ those? Let's go!" she said with an excited giggle, already leading the way down the aisle and towards the nearby exit which would lead both girls towards the dressing rooms and executive area, where their treats awaited them.

"Oh, that was so much _fun!_ I really felt like a superstar, just like Cornelia, getting to try on all of those brand new, otherwise expensive clothes, and be surrounded by all those other free gifts!" Elyon softly spoke to herself in happy reflection upon the last hour and a half she had spent with Alchemy, putting on their own private fashion show from inside of Mr. Selwyn's greenroom, before leaving her behind with her father to finally head home. "It's just too bad I couldn't take any of it home with me yet. . . ."

She groaned heavily as she immediately felt her deliriously good mood from nearly the last two hours begin to dissipate, as thoughts of her dreaded, bombed Algebra quiz and the impending doom which awaited her once she arrived home to see her father resurfaced.

Sharply reaching into her backpack as she continued on within her methodically slow walk home, Elyon pulled out her mathematics folder, which housed her deplorable exam, and took it out to once again gaze upon.

" _Ugh_. I _can't_ go home and show this to Dad! I just _can't!_ He'll blow a major _gasket_ for sure!" she lamented to herself as she stopped short and stood upon the busy sidewalk, allowing her fellow Heatherfield citizens to continue walking by. "I'm just going to have to get rid of you and say that Mr. Cedner simply hadn't graded it yet, that's all!"

With a determined, satisfied smile at her newfound decision, Elyon quickly crumpled up her quiz paper and blindly tossed it over her shoulder, all too eager to be rid of it once and for all.

"O-Ouch! Hey, that _hurt_ , 'Piggy Tails!' Why not try for the _trash_ next time, eh?"

Elyon's heart nearly jumped straight into her throat at the unexpected voice sounding from behind her, startling her in the process. She immediately whirled around to face the individual to apologize, then decided against it when she recalled what they had said.

For a moment, she'd lost her voice and felt her heart give another slight jump, as her periwinkle colored eyes met with an unfamiliar pair of resilient green, owned by a tall and muscular male brunet, seemingly no older than eighteen-years-old or so. She watched as he gave her a small, pompous smirk of sorts, before looking down at her discarded wad of paper now lying at his feet.

Clearing her throat, finding herself able to speak again, perhaps now that the unknown young man was no longer looking at her so attentively, Elyon bestowed upon him a deep frown as she opened her mouth.

" _W-What_ did you just call me? These are called _'pigtails,'_ not 'piggy tails,' you jerk! _Pig_. _Tails!_ " she exclaimed as she grabbed a firm hold upon each of her braided locks, putting great stress upon her final words so that the boy would get the message. She then watched with great mortification as he bent over and unfurled her quiz paper, and began to read the results aloud.

"Fifty points. _Geez_. I think maybe you've tied your hair into that hairdo of yours too tightly, if your brain couldn't have worked well enough to score higher than _this,_ on what looks to be a pretty basic algebra test," the brunet chided with another condescending smirk, before crumpling the paper back up and tossing it back at a now fuming Elyon. "I think you should go home and study now, Piggy Tails."

"W-Why don't you just mind your own freaking _business?"_ the embarrassed, seething blonde shouted back at the now softly chuckling boy standing in front of her, before abruptly turning on her heel and stomped away, this time taking her exam with her.

_Ugh! What an absolutely_ _disgusting_ _, and conceited guy! The nerve of him!_ Elyon thought to herself within her continually brewing anger, squeezing the balled up paper tightly within her left hand, before stuffing it into the pocket of her wrinkled shorts and continued on her way. _If I_ _ever_ _see that jerk again, it will be too soon!_

Meanwhile, the brunet in question carried on within the other direction, back towards the Heatherfield Tarmo Exhibit Hall, where Elyon had just come from. He gave a pensive stare towards the building once he'd arrived, as he lightly murmured to himself.

"So, this is the place advertised on the television, where that jewelry exhibit will be held tonight. . . . Maybe this is where I'll finally find it . . . the mystical Star of Threbe. . . ." the mysterious young man softly spoke with a fold of his muscular arms across his chest, as he then merely continued to look upon the tall building in further thought. . . .

* * *

"Hey, there, Elyon! _You're_ looking rather glum today; that's pretty unusual. What happened? Did you have an argument with one of your friends?" Elyon's friend and secret crush over the last year now, twenty-three-year-old Cedric Wright suddenly called out to her from across the street as she approached, nearing the end of her journey home.

The young teenager immediately perked up at the sight of him, instantly forgetting all about the crude brunet she had come across several minutes ago, as she hurriedly crossed the street and rushed towards the long, cornflower haired young man standing in front of the entrance to the girl's frequent and most favorite hangout place and shopping center, the "Musical Star Café."

It was a fairly new and up and coming establishment, where Elyon, Alchemy and several other young teenagers, as well as adults would journey to in order to listen to and preview new music, purchase the latest CD albums from various artists, peruse through a large assortment of magazines and books of all kinds, or to simply relax and partake within a beverage or snack or two.

And, of course, it didn't hurt that one of the most cutest male employees worked there, as well, as part of Elyon's further motivation to frequent that particular institution, either.

She promptly flashed her most brilliant smile, one she especially reserved for Cedric, towards him as she then stood before the young man, unconsciously playing with her fair colored locks and smoothing down her wrinkled tank top.

"H-Hey, Cedric! No, I didn't get into any fights with my friends - Although I _did_ bump into someone I _never_ want to ever again on my way here just a couple of minutes ago," Elyon responded with a brief grimace in reflection of the unknown and uncouth brunet once more, before pushing him from out of her mind for good.

She felt her cheeks grow hot and heart beat much faster, as the taller man smiled down at her and warmly rested a hand upon her tiny shoulder in greeting.

"Aww, that's too bad. I hope you don't either, then, as I hate seeing my favorite customer so upset," Cedric said kindly with a wink of his light blue eyes. He then released his hold upon the petite girl, much to her secret disappointment. "So, are you headed straight home, then? Because I just laid out the new shipment of Cornelia Hale's latest album I'm sure both you and Alchemy will be itching to listen to. Speaking of, where is she? I haven't seen her yet today."

"Oh, that's because she's over at that place, Tarmo Exhibit Hall, with her father, helping him prepare for tonight's show for his jewelry collection. That's where I'd just come from, myself - It's going to be a _great_ exhibit!" Elyon gaily explained, feeling her heartbeat now slowing down and face growing much cooler, although the butterflies continuing to perform back flips within her stomach remained. "But, I can totally come inside real quick to check out Cornelia's music, as always . . . . Although, I probably shouldn't, since I kinda had a bad day today with a quiz I took this morning. . . ."

Cedric nodded in complete understanding upon hearing this, giving the young girl another smile, which caused her to blush once again.

"Ah. Say no more, then. It wasn't too long ago when _I_ was in high school, and had taken quite a few 'dreaded walks home' after a bad testing day, myself," he revealed with great sympathy and reminiscence, tossing his long ponytailed locks behind his shoulder. "But, I wouldn't worry too much about it, though, Elyon. You're a pretty smart kid, with a good head on your shoulders. And I'm pretty positive your folks are aware of that, themselves. The lot of you can just chock this particular incident up to simply having been an off day, that's all."

_Oh, my sweet, hottie Cedric. You always know exactly what to say to make me feel better_ , the female blonde swooned inwardly with a silent thought towards the object of her affection, before verbally responding.

"Y-You're right, I suppose. Thanks for that, Cedric," Elyon replied with a shy smile, unable to meet the tall man's gaze for a few moments, as she continued. "S-So, um . . . why are you hanging outside, anyway? Shouldn't you be _inside_ , watching the store and helping out customers?"

"I was - Well, I _am_ , but I asked my coworker, Andrew, to take care of that for a couple minutes, while I take my break and feed this cat," Cedric said, Elyon looking up just in time to catch him curiously looking about their mutual surroundings.

She raised an eyebrow at this.

"Cat? What cat? I don't see any around here right now," she remarked in perplexity, she, too, beginning to search about the immediate vicinity. She then heard Cedric gasp with delight before pointing a finger over her shoulder.

"Ah, _there_ it is! You know, it's been wandering about here for the last couple of days now? I've been feeling pretty bad seeing it around and not trying to feed it before, so I thought I would today," he explained to the teenager, who turned around to look behind her and saw the very same slate gray colored feline from earlier that morning suddenly come out from underneath the dark blue tinted postbox situated near the café's entrance.

Elyon gave a slight exhale of her own at the realization, as the tiny cat then sat down upon the sidewalk and gazed up at the two humans looking right back at her.

"Oh, hey! That's the cat I'd accidentally tripped over this morning! Are you feeling better now, Kitty?" the young teenager gently asked towards the fluffy feline, as Cedric continued to watch on with a smile. It was then that Elyon at last took proper notice of the curious and green hued, seven-pointed star bald spot upon its forehead and bit her lip. "Hmm . . . what an odd looking birthmark or bald spot upon its head, don't you think, Cedric? I wonder if its owner did that. . . ."

"So, you two have already met, then! That's good, although not _so_ good that you'd tripped over it, the poor thing," he commented with a nod, cautiously moving forward as he pulled out the few slices of cheese he'd taken from inside of the café from out of his brown colored apron. "And I suppose that scar or mark _is_ a bit strange, yeah . . . but I don't think this cat _has_ an owner - No collar or tag, for one thing. Although, it does seem to like you, the way it keeps looking at only you like that right now."

It was true. Despite the older man then beginning to advance towards the feline with the creamy, zesty treat, it nonetheless continued to maintain its gaze upon a now bewildered Elyon, who began to feel a bit uncomfortable for it.

". . . . Ick. It did the same thing to me this morning, too . . . something tells me that it really _doesn't_ like me, much. And on that note, I'd better get going before it gets too late - Wish me luck, Cedric! Oh, and good luck to _you_ on trying to feed this kitty!" the pigtailed girl said hurriedly with growing nerves, as she locked eyes with the daunting and mysterious feline for a couple more moments, before quickly waving goodbye to her secret crush and began to walk away.

She could hear Cedric chuckle lightly from behind her as she continued on and he watched her go.

"Thanks, then, I guess! See you around, Elyon, and good luck!" he called out to the teen, before returning his attention back onto the grayish cat. He gasped in surprise the moment he'd realized that it had gone once again. "H-Hey, what? . . . . Hmm . . . what a funny little cat. . . ."

* * *

"Aww . . . Dad didn't have to be so _brutal_ . . . an hour long 'yell fest,' ending with no dinner and straight to my room to study. . . . I just _had_ to carelessly toss my stupid quiz into the trash where he could find it," Elyon murmured to herself in self pity later on that evening, trapped within her bedroom and seated at her desk, surrounded by her open textbooks and notebooks.

She'd been stuck in there for the last two hours or so, after having been thoroughly lectured by her father upon, as she had predicted, the "importance of math and science within everyday life," and then promptly sent away from the dinner table without her meal as punishment.

"I feel like such a little kid, getting no dinner like this," the blonde pouted in reflection, idly looking down at the same math equation she'd been staring at for the last half an hour now, without any results for completion. She lightly winced, then sighed deeply once she felt her stomach beginning to growl ferociously in hunger. "How does anyone expect me to get any work or concentration done when I'm _starving_ to death like this? Still . . . it _could_ have been worse; I could have gotten my computer or cell phone taken away. And, once all of this dies down, I can _finally_ go pick up all the neat stuff Cornelia sent over to Mr. Selwyn! I wonder how the exhibit's going right now . . . it should have started by now. . . ."

Gently rubbing her stomach in futile attempts to lull her growing hunger pains, Elyon suddenly threw down the pencil she'd had within her left hand onto her desk and stood up.

"Oh, I can't focus on anything technical right now, especially not hungry like this! But, maybe if I just relax for a little bit, I can come back to it later to finally finish," she avowed in frustration, before giving a firm nod to herself in determination to return to her studies in a little while and complete them once and for all. "I know! I'll just listen to the latest single from Cornelia! Her music _always_ puts me at such ease!"

Feeling a little bit better already, if only emotionally, Elyon swiftly plopped herself onto her comfortable bed, before reaching out to turn on her dual radio and CD player nearby. Hitting play, she then settled onto her pillow, letting out a tired yawn as track number one, an upbeat melody, began to play:

_Everywhere I go,_

_I carry you within my heart_

' _Cause someday, I just know,_

_The two of us will never part_

_Seas of people pass,_

_The world keeps spinning round and round_

_My love for you lasts,_

_You know I'll never let you down_

_So here I am,_

_Come with me,_

_This is our starlit destiny!_

_Starlit destiny!_

_This time I won't be denied_

_Starlit destiny!_

_Boy, one day you will be mine. . . ._

The fast paced and energetic pop music continued to waft throughout the bedroom, putting a small, but growing smile upon Elyon's fair colored visage, as she then gradually began to drift into a light slumber, dreams of perhaps one day singing that very same song to Cedric to let him know her true affections already infiltrating her mind.

Unbeknownst to her, a familiar, yet _unfamiliar_ and tiny figure was lurking outside of her open, first floor bedroom window nearest to her desk, before quietly jumping inside and onto the blue carpeted floor.

_Hmm . . . no doubt about it . . . it's her. I've definitely found her at last_ , it thought to itself in silence, looking towards the slumbering teenager lying peacefully upon her bed as the peppy music was drawing to a close, before creeping carefully towards her. _Here goes nothing. . . ._

"Oh, Cedric . . . yes, I _will_ marry you. . . ." Elyon softly murmured within her sleep, rolling onto her side with a big grin splayed across her face, at the same moment that the unknown, new visitor promptly jumped onto her thigh with expert precision. " _Ahh!"_

Suddenly, Elyon bolted upright in bed, as sharp and unexpected pain began to course throughout her right leg.

" _Oww!_ What _was_ that? It sort of felt like I just got pricked by a thousand little needles," she groaned to herself in alarm, rubbing her sore appendage while looking about the room for what could have caused it.

". . . . A-Actually, it was only _ten_ , and they were _claws_ \- _My_ claws, to be more specific. Now, can you _please_ get off of me?" a tiny, although forceful and strangely muffled female voice curiously rang out into the atmosphere just then, causing Elyon to gasp in surprise.

"W-What? W-Who's there?" she squeaked out in ample fear, immediately leaping off of her bed to properly survey the room for any possible intruders. However, she could not see any. "If t-this is some sort of trick, then -"

"- It's . . . no trick, Elyon. It's very real," Elyon could hear the same soft, seemingly disembodied female voice speak once again, making her jump once more in further affliction. "Oh, for goodness sake! I'm down _here_ , on your bed, after having been momentarily _crushed_ and buried underneath your legs - _Again_ , I might add. That's twice in one day, today, where you've nearly _ended_ me. . . ."

With raised eyebrows in mounting perplexity, Elyon slowly moved her blue eyes back towards her now messy bed . . . only to see the very same grayish feline she had already previously encountered dual times that day, now seated comfortably upon the blonde's blue disheveled comforter.

". . . . H-Huh? _Kitty?_ What are _you_ doing here inside of my room? Did you follow me home?" she asked in curiosity, naturally not expecting it to give an answer, as she cautiously moved toward it while still wondering who could have been the one speaking to her just moments before.

Suddenly, the cat's mouth mysteriously wrinkled to form what almost looked like a smile, before it did something Elyon never thought it, as an animal, would ever do.

It spoke.

"Actually, my name isn't 'Kitty;' it's _Csilla_. And truth be told, I have been following you - All day, in fact, which wasn't always so easy, the way you've been all over town today, and me being just a tiny cat and all," it said tiredly, lightly cocking its furry head to the side and flicked one of its pointed, small ears as though in thought. "But, at least, I've finally caught up to you . . . now that I know for sure it's truly been _you_ I've been searching for."

Elyon nearly passed out from fright upon taking in the most bizarre sight she had ever witnessed within her young life. She immediately jumped back, nearly ten feet, it felt like, away from her bed and far from the mysterious and now profusely terrifying gray colored talking cat.

" _Ahh!_ Oh, my _God!"_ she screeched, promptly whirling around to make a dash towards her bedroom door, when the feline apparently referred to as Csilla suddenly leaped off of the girl's bed and instantly placed herself between Elyon and the sealed exit.

"W-Wait! Please don't be frightened! I'm not going to hurt you or anything like that! Just hear me out, please!" the small female cat pleaded with a raised tail, gazing up at a befuddled and shaking Elyon, who then heard the familiar voice of her mother sounding from further down the hall.

" _Elyonnn_ . . . you'd better quit fooling around and finish up your homework, or else your father will _really_ blow his top," Mrs. Brown called out to her daughter from within the living room in playful reprimanding, before carrying on in watching her television program with her husband.

Elyon, biting down hard onto her lip, fought the great urge to both cry as well as scream for help from her parents, as she looked away from the door and back down at a hopeful Csilla. Pausing for a couple moments, the blonde took a deep, shaky breath and weakly nodded at her, before blindly taking a couple of steps back to let her pass.

Csilla gave a happy swish of her erected tail in gratitude, before walking back to the confused girl's bed.

"Thank you, Elyon . . . ahem. Now, then. As I was saying before, I have been wandering the city for the last couple of days, searching _endlessly_ for you," the fluffy cat began as she sat back down, curling her slender tail against the frame of her body. "And I could sense that I was finally getting close, when a bunch of mean little brats suddenly ganged up on me and put that bandage you saw this morning onto my forehead. You'd really helped me out back there when you took it off, by the way, because otherwise, I'd have still been unable to speak and my detection abilities would remain weakened. So, thank you. . . ."

Head swirling, still not completely able to fathom the current events rapidly unfolding before her, Elyon gingerly sank onto the floor and sat before Csilla, pulling the both of her knees to her chest.

Suddenly, a realization came to her, causing her to smile broadly, which perplexed the small animal.

". . . . _Ohh_ , I get it, now! This is all a _dream!_ Yeah! I'm still dreaming after my previous one about getting engaged to Cedric!" she said happily with a nod, before reaching out to gently pat Csilla upon the head. "You're kinda cute and all, Kitty, but I much prefer the other dream to _this_ one with you, no offense! So, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go back to -"

"- This is _not_ a dream, Elyon, and my name is not ' _Kitty_ ,' I told you!" Csilla fumed in vexation, squeezing her green eyes shut in further irritation, as she resisted the urge to scratch the young teenager before her. "Fine. Since you seem to like _jewelry_ so much, as I saw you go to that exhibit with your friend earlier, maybe this gift will better catch your attention than I have so far."

Suddenly, the peculiar green colored, seven-pointed star upon the cat's forehead began to glow a soft periwinkle in hue as she kept her eyes closed, before a bright, white light erupted into the bedroom. Shielding her eyes, as well, Elyon slowly pulled her hands back in time to see a glittering, gold and star shaped necklace mysteriously floating within the air directly before her.

"W-What? H-How did you do that? What is it?" she shakily asked in breathless awe as the bright light at last dissipated, tentatively reaching out to cradle the necklace within her cupped hands, as it slowly began to descend towards them at the same moment.

It was warm, with a curious prickling feeling all at once, as well.

Csilla then reopened her own eyes after the curious scar upon her forehead stopped shining, as well, and lightly smiled once more at the teenager now eyeing her apparent present.

"It is for you, Elyon, your Star Pendant, which will help you many times within the very near future. . . ." she revealed a bit cryptically with a light nod, watching Elyon then eagerly get up and rushed to her full bodied mirror up against her wall to try on her new necklace. "H-Hey! Are you even _listening_ to me?"

"Yes, yes! It's my star necklace or whatever, which will _totally_ help me to finally catch Cedric's eye! _Oooh_ , wait 'till Alchemy sees me wearing _this_ tomorrow! She'll be so _jealous!_ It's nearly as beautiful and priceless looking like the jewelry Mr. Selwyn's debuting tonight!" Elyon gushed in reply as she gazed upon her reflection, daintily handling and caressing the necklace now dangling gracefully around her slim neck.

"Star _Pendant_ , Elyon! And this isn't a _game_ , nor is that some random _trinket_ you can just use to attract the opposite sex with!" Csilla chided in renewed consternation, jumping off of the bed and walking towards an only half paying attention Elyon. "Now, _listen!_ Right now, at this very moment, in fact, there have been quite a number of strange happenings occurring within Heatherfield! Things which even the authorities, like the police, try as they might, cannot even _begin_ to measure up against and properly handle. That's why it's up to _you_ , Elyon, as the chosen Guardian Soldier, to find the rest of your comrades, who will help you find our lost princess in order to defeat the enemy! It is your sworn duty and destiny to do so!"

". . . . Solider? . . . . _Princess?_ . . . . My . . . _destiny?_ Csilla, I-I don't under -" Elyon slowly began, partially within a greatly confused stupor after having fully listened to what the female cat had to say, when suddenly the necklace around her neck began to shine with a fierce brilliance. "C-Csilla! The neck - I mean, _pendant!_ It's shining again!"

Csilla merely nodded firmly in concurrence, before taking another step forward.

"Precisely! It's because all that I have been saying to you is the _truth!_ But, if you _still_ don't believe me, then say these words, exactly: 'Meridian Eternity Power, Make Up!'" she softly commanded, peering up at a hesitant, almost skeptical looking Elyon, who paused for a moment before responding.

". . . . I-I . . . I'm not really sure what _that_ will accomplish, but . . . _Meridian Eternity Power, Make Up!"_ the blonde weakly began, before promptly shouting out, with more conviction, the curious string of words which oddly felt a bit familiar to her, almost innate.

Suddenly, the light surrounding her newfound pendant grew brighter until it effortlessly engulfed her entire body, stripping her bare as her clothes then melted away. Eyes closed, Elyon felt her limbs take over, as she crossed her hands across her naked chest, and a warm, enveloping sensation of unknown vigor began to course within her.

Csilla watched as a colorful string of periwinkle tinted ribbons burst forth from out of the girl's glowing pendant, wrapping itself around her body to outfit into what appeared to be a bodysuit of sorts of the same color.

Upon Elyon's now covered chest did the pendant now curiously suffuse itself, surrounded and snug against a thin, lavender bow, with its two, equally thin and short ribbons lightly trailing down to just past her breasts. After which, a powder blue, sailor-like collar then gently sheltered part of her neck and her otherwise unsheltered shoulders.

She then raised the both of her arms high above her head, at the same moment a pair of long, slender and fitted white colored gloves, with a periwinkle tinted band around the elbow area, and mystically appeared upon them within the same ribbon-like fashion as her bodysuit.

Once more did a flurry of ribbons of a light blue variety manifest itself within the next instant, this time snaking itself around Elyon's skinny legs, before shaping into a long pair of knee high, periwinkle hued boots, with a curious, rainbow colored band and star at the v-cut top upon both.

Csilla smiled proudly as she watched a multitude of mysterious, multicolored ruffles then appear and fused itself onto Elyon's waist, forming a three tiered skirt of powder blue at the top, lavender within the middle, and periwinkle at the bottom . . . while another bow, larger in size and lavender in color with two sets of thick lavender and white colored ribbons fastened itself to gently rest against her bottom.

Finally, arching her back, every limb stretched out, Elyon lightly tilted her head upward, just as a shimmering, soft blue light shined brightly against her forehead momentarily, before a silver tiara with a violet hued, oval shaped jewel within the center magically produced itself. At the same time, a pair of dangling, star shaped, golden earrings also appeared within her ears, alongside a periwinkle choker, also with a golden star within the center . . . and white colored, tiny barrettes just above her golden bangs, which almost resembled dove wings or feathers.

Slowly opening her eyes, Elyon blinked a couple of times as the intense light swiftly lessened until completely vanishing altogether, before turning her head to look towards her mirror.

"Ahh! Oh, my G-God! What am I _wearing?_ I . . . I almost look kind of like Sailor V, now!" she cried out in alarm, taking in her overall appearance, including her newfound hairdo, which remained within their usual pigtails, however earning two new features: the barrettes, and a pair of crystal-like hoop rings adorning the very ends of her locks. "C-Csilla! W-What did you do to me?"

"Something which was _meant_ to happen, Elyon! This is who you truly are! You are the soldier for justice, Sailormeridian, and must fight every last enemy which might try to take over the earth!" the slate gray feline responded firmly, her tail swaying within the air with further intrigue. "And they _will_ try! But we can't ever let them succeed!"

Elyon, or rather now, Sailormeridian, vigorously shook her head at this, nervously wringing her gloved hands together in further trepidation.

"B-But! N-No _way_ , I can't! I'm only just a _kid!_ I mean, I may have said or even fantasized once or twice about being like Sailor V and 'fight the good fight,' but it doesn't mean I was ever really _serious!_ I just ca -" she began to ramble vehemently, now tugging at her newly arranged pigtails, before she abruptly cut herself off upon hearing a familiar voice suddenly screaming out into the atmosphere.

" _H-Help! Someone help me, please! My father is -!"_

Sailormeridian gasped sharply at the realization, after the cries for help chillingly dissipated, and looked down to see that the hoop rings within her dishwater blonde hair were mysteriously pulsating with urgency.

"W-What? Did you hear that, Csilla? That sounds like my friend, Alchemy! B-But she's all the way at that exhibit hall with her father! How can I hear her like this?" she frantically asked, looking desperately at the feline before her for answers.

"It is because she is in trouble, at this very moment, and _you're_ the only one who can help her, Sailormeridian!" she replied resolutely, already jogging back over to the girl's open window. "I _knew_ I was correct within my earlier suspicions that something was not right about that place! Now, hurry! There isn't a moment to lose!"

Hesitating for a few moments, watching the grayish cat vanish from the window and the pulsating from her mystical accessories within her hair cease, Sailormeridian lightly nodded.

". . . . I don't honestly know what's going on, and I don't know what _I_ can honestly do . . . but I can't just stand here while Alchemy's in danger. I _have_ to go help her!" she avowed with faint bravery, stealing a fleeting moment to look back at her sealed bedroom door and towards the hallway, where her parents were both presumably still within the living room watching television.

She then quickly made a dash towards the open, first floor window and leaped out, following after Csilla as the two hurriedly continued down the mostly empty streets of that early evening.

* * *

"Let's give a hand for our lovely models, shall we? And now, the stylish jeweler and presenter for tonight's exhibit, Mr. Mani Selwyn!" said the male MC upon the runway, surrounded by a small gaggle of the Forever Youthful models inside of the now very packed Heatherfield Tarmo Exhibit hall.

The entire auditorium then erupted into fierce applause, as the entire audience as well as staff members began clapping simultaneously for the famous jeweler. His daughter, Alchemy, watched with pride from behind the stage after having given him a quick congratulatory hug and kiss, giggling and clapping, perhaps the loudest, along with the rest of crowd.

Unbeknownst to her, in fact, the entire audience, however, their pleasant evening was about to take a very terrifying turn for the worse. . . .

The male MC, grinning with respect towards Mani, who gave a generous smile back at him in return, moved aside to let the other man then take center stage and perhaps even say a few words. However, he said nothing, only peered out into the crowd for a few moments, before the simper upon his tanned visage instantly evaporated, and was replaced by a sinister sneer.

And before anyone could have reacted, Mani outstretched his hands towards the now partially confused audience, and eerily began to cackle maniacally the moment a blackened mist emitted from them. Instantly now alarmed, the crowd unanimously sprang from their seats in fear, screaming frantically to escape; however, they were each too late, as the mist effortlessly reached them in no time at all, filtering into the grand atmosphere as it knocked everyone within the stands unconscious.

Alchemy, one of the last people still awake, had collapsed onto the floor as she tried to crawl towards the exit.

"H-Help! Someone help me, _please!_ My father is -!" was all she managed to choke out in absolute horror, looking up with pleading, tear filled eyes towards her father, who had then turned to look at her menacingly, before the dark smog overwhelmed her, draining her of her energy and enveloping her within the blackness of slumber.

"Hm, hm, hm . . . finally, I will have every last ounce of energy from you worthless humans, and then send it off in servitude to the great Dark Kingdom!" Mani cackled boisterously within a much deeper, chilling voice, walking towards his now unconscious, helpless daughter as the black vapor began to slowly dissipate in thickness, however still remained throughout the area. "And I think I'll start by collecting _yours_ , first!"

As the ominous man slowly crept down onto the floor, leaning just inches away from the russet haired teenager and about to make her his very first victim, a voice, female, suddenly broke through the atmosphere and interrupted him before he could do so.

"Stop right there!"

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Mani cried out in vexation, swiftly rising to his feet and temporarily forgetting about Alchemy, as his harsh, dark blue eyes searched about the otherwise quiet exhibit hall to see who could have somehow remained conscious.

From out of the shadows, within the upper level area of the stands, a lone sailor suited young female emerged, a deep scowl set upon her peaches and cream complexion, and a small cat curled around her shoulders. Mani blinked furiously at the sight, perplexed more so at the fact that there remained a survivor, more so than the fact that the girl was curiously dressed.

"W-What? Who are _you?_ How are you not effected by my poisonous mist?" he hissed, seething with ire as he looked up towards the mysterious newcomer continuing to gaze defiantly down upon him.

At this, however, the girl's bold exterior faltered a bit, as she raised a gloved finger to her glossy lips and suddenly looked a bit unsure of herself.

". . . . W-Well, I, um. . . ." she began shakily, unable to think of a proper response for that, as she, too, was honestly perplexed at both whom she now was, exactly, as well as how she remained undaunted by the gaseous fumes continually wafting throughout the auditorium, the way the rest of the citizens surrounding her inside apparently had been.

"Listen to your heart, Elyon . . . then you'll know what to do," Csilla softly whispered against the blonde's ear, before jumping off of her shoulders. She then smiled gently up at her, as the girl gave a short, slow nod in vague understanding and compliance.

Taking a deep breath, the sailor-clad young woman spoke again, this time with more conviction as she finally answered the awaiting Mani.

". . . . Your fumes have no effect on me, because . . . because I am the pretty sailor-suited soldier of love and justice, Sailormeridian!" she cried, frowning deeply at the man she'd believed she had always known to be Alchemy's loving and gentle father. "And in the name of Meridian, I will punish you!"

"Sailormeridian, eh? I've never heard of you before, but I am sure that your head served upon a silver platter will make quite the lovely gift for my master of the Dark Kingdom! Now, die!" Mani bellowed violently towards the blonde, his body then turning rigid as it began to suddenly glow an onyx colored hue, before he collapsed onto the ground within a crumpled heap.

And in his place, stood a mysterious, although greatly frightening black and amorphous-like mass, the only true definitive properties upon it being what looked like a pair of large and looming hands, in addition to a mouth of sorts, where snarling, sharp and terrifying teeth gleamed up at its now startled foe.

Sailormeridian let out a high pitched scream at the sight, taking several steps backwards as both she and Csilla peered down at it.

"W-W-What is _that_ , Csilla?" she cried, nearly tripping over the multitude of unconscious bodies riddled about her immediate area.

The slate gray tinted feline let out a sharp hiss in amalgamated fear and fury, her soft fur standing up on end and tail becoming poof-like and much thicker as she responded.

"It's as I'd already explained to you on the way here! I'd sensed a large amount of negative energy permeating from this vicinity, even _with_ my detection abilities temporarily and slightly blocked from that bandage! Your friend, Alchemy's father had been possessed by the monster you see before you now! And now, it's time to _destroy_ it before it can do any further damage!" she spoke heatedly, her attention now on high alert as she carefully divided it between Sailormeridian and the otherworldly creature now fast approaching.

Sailormeridian, however, immediately began to cry, furiously shaking her head in continued fright as she swiftly turned and made a beeline for the door she had come in through.

"N-No, Csilla, I _can't!_ I-I'm too afraid!" she screamed in further trepidation, rushing out of the exit with Csilla hurriedly following after her, just as the darkened, mostly shapeless fiend made it up to where they had previously stood and continued on within its pursuit.

"Sailormeridian, wait! You _have_ to fight back, or else the entire universe will be doomed! You can _do_ this! I _know_ you can, because it's within you already, as a chosen soldier! You - _Ahh!"_ Sailormeridian could hear Csilla calling after her while she continued to sprint back down the hallway and the way she had came, before abruptly stopping to whirl around in time to see the grayish feline get effortlessly hurled across the hall and into a nearby wall by the amorphous entity as it swiftly approached.

"Csilla! _No!"_ Sailormeridian gasped in alarm and great concern for the now unmoving animal, suddenly feeling a surge of energy overwhelming her entire body, as her forehead suddenly grew quite warm. And then, without another thought or cause for hesitation, the lone blonde blindly reached up and gently seized her now curiously glowing tiara within her gloved hand.

". . . . Meridian Tiara Boomerang!" she cried out the set of words which had then curiously come to her, as she threw the continually glowing tiara, which had then morphed into a circular and flat boomerang of sorts, towards the otherwise intimidating foe just as it had nearly reached her. Her heart immediately fell the moment she had witnessed the amorphous being suddenly create a hole within what might have been its stomach area, and the tiara swiftly sailed straight through it.

"W-What? No!" Sailormeridian voiced loudly in disbelief, before promptly screaming out in alarm as the entity then lunged towards her and took a swing. It just barely missed her as she quickly dove out of the way in time, however still managed to generously scrape her knee in the process. "Oww! C-Csilla, wake up! _P-Please!_ I don't know what else to do! I-"

"- _Yarrrrrgggh!"_ the lunging monster before Sailormeridian suddenly screeched in pain, its partially shapeless body glowing brightly within a golden light, before promptly being sliced in half and instantly evaporating away from sight.

She let out a surprised gasp, as she could then see the culprit to the fiend's mysterious and abrupt demise, as her forgotten, shimmering tiara came sailing through the air back to its owner, catching it just in time.

". . . . Did . . . _I_ just do that?" the blonde sailor suited soldier murmured softly to herself within a slight stupor, staring with widened eyes at the spot where the menacing creature had previously been, as she carefully replaced her tiara back onto her forehead, once it had stopped glowing and had returned to its former and original shape.

"Indeed you have, Sailormeridian. . . . Well, done," suddenly said an unknown, newfound male voice from behind her, causing her to jump and quickly turn around to see whom it could be. She felt her breath catch within her throat, much as it did whenever she was around Cedric, as she peered up and locked eyes with a green eyed, black tuxedo clad young man towering before her.

He smiled with gentle approval as he slowly bent over and extended a white gloved hand out to the soldier, gingerly helping her from off of the ground. A stray strand of his slicked back, brown colored hair fell forward onto his tanned countenance, which was partially obscured by a white colored masquerade-like mask, as he did so.

"There. . . . You did a good job, Sailormeridian . . . and it looks like your friend is reawakening, as well," said the mysteriously masked man, briefly looking over the blonde's shoulder towards the previously immobile feline, which then began to stir. He then looked back at the young, flustered looking woman before him and smiled again, still tenderly holding onto her hand.

Sailormeridian struggled like mad to find her voice again, momentarily unable to think of anything to say, as she merely continued to gaze back up at the young man, feeling herself increasingly growing lost within his mesmerizing, emerald tinted orbs.

Much to her regret, the tuxedo wearing stranger at last let go of her hand, before speaking once more.

". . . . I wasn't able to find what I had come here searching for . . . however, it seems as though I still managed to find something interesting. . . ." he said with another soft smile, one full of intrigue, before he abruptly turned and began to walk away, the long, black and sleek cape draped around his neck and cascading down his strong back flapping behind him.

_Don't just stand there like an idiot, Elyon! Go after him!_ Sailormeridian's voice within her head sharply scolded, causing her to jump with a start, as she at last snapped out of her haze and managed to call out after the retreating man.

"W-Wait! W-Who are you? And why _did_ you come here for?" she squeaked out within a voice which wasn't normally her own, blushing furiously within embarrassment as a result. The rouge only intensified as she watched the young male slowly turn back around to look at her.

He paused for a moment, before responding with, ". . . . I'm afraid the only answer I can actively leave you with for now is my name . . . which is . . . Tuxedo Kamen," he slowly revealed with a light furrow of his dark brow, before swiftly turning back around within a grand flourish of his red lined cape. ". . . . I'll be sure to remember you . . . Sailormeridian. . . ."

And with that, the young man now known as Tuxedo Kamen swiftly vacated the premises, leaving a befuddled Sailormeridian within his wake.

". . . . 'Tuxedo . . . Kamen?' What a weird name . . . but . . . it still belongs to _such_ a _hot_ guy," she swooned after the curious male had vanished around the corner in the far distance, suddenly surprising herself by her words. "W-Wait a second! I can't be thinking such things like that, when I only have eyes for Cedric! _He's_ the one I truly want! . . . . Still, I -"

"- S-Sailormeridian . . . would you mind terribly if you could stop daydreaming about _boys_ for one moment to h-help me up, please?" Csilla's breathless voice abruptly sounded from behind the startled, embarrassed blonde, who immediately whirled around and rushed over to her momentarily forgotten new friend.

"Oh! Csilla, I'm _so_ sorry! Are you all right? Here, let me help you!" Sailormeridian swiftly offered in apology, bending over to scoop up the lightly banged up, and fur-ruffled cat from off of the ground and into her arms.

Csilla lightly nodded her head and exhaled, gently rubbing her fluffy, gray colored head against the girl's chin in appreciation, before looking back down the hallway towards the auditorium doors.

"Y-Yeah . . . thanks. . . . Just a little banged up a bit, but nothing a good night's rest won't fix. And from the sound of things, that's something the rest of those innocent people back inside of the auditorium will also get, thanks to you, Sailormeridian. I'm very proud of you," she said with mixed fatigue and praise, as the two listened to the confused, increasing murmurs of the formerly unconscious audience of the jewelry exhibit show. "We had better get out of here, though, before people start coming out and might start asking questions. . . ."

"But what about Alchemy? And her dad? I can't just leave without checking on them first," Sailormeridian argued with a shake of her dishwater blonde head, beginning to take a step towards the auditorium, when Csilla then firmly pressed the both of her paws against her bowed chest in order to stop her.

"No, _trust_ me: The very moment you'd destroyed that monster, you'd simultaneously reversed the effects of its poisonous mist. And if the rest of the crowd is now awake and recovered, then so too is your friend and her father," she explained in slight haste, peering up at a hesitant Sailormeridian with urgent green eyes. " _Please_ , Sailormeridian! Let us go before we're spotted!"

Biting down upon her glossed lip, the lone female soldier nodded slowly in compliance, before turning around and quickly running down the long, empty hallway with her furry companion firmly within her arms.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the retreating duo, a mysterious, red haired figure watched on from within the lurking shadows.

". . . . Hmm . . . Sailormeridian, huh? A lot of nerve to get in my way like that. . . . Doesn't matter. There are more monsters where _this_ one had come from. I will use as many as it will take to collect all of earth's energy and find the mystical Star of Threbe for my master!" he said with a grimace and balled up fist in vexed determination, before magically vanishing from the premises. . . .

* * *

". . . . I can't believe all of that had actually happened, Csilla . . . that I'd actually . . . magically transformed, I guess, into a superhero _just_ like Sailor V, and faced off against a real life _monster!_ " Elyon gushed within an excited frenzy to her feline comrade as they rounded a corner, with her house now in sight around twenty minutes later.

Now that the battle was over and the danger at last subsided, the blonde teenager was beginning to feel more and more like her old self again as the fear she had previously felt had mostly vanished . . . especially now that the sailor suited attire she had been wearing inexplicably melted away and vanished within a bright blue light, the moment she had stepped foot outside of Heatherfield Tarmo Exhibit Hall and began her trek back home.

Now simply resembling a normal teenager once more, her messy pigtails also returned to her, sans mystical hoop rings or barrettes, she let out a tired yawn and lightly smiled, happy to be back home within her familiar and safe neighborhood.

"Well, it _did_ happen, Elyon, and it most likely will again very soon. That's why it's imperative that you hurry and find your fellow Guardian Soldiers and our princess as soon as possible," Csilla spoke firmly up towards the young girl who continued to carry her, before letting out a tiny yawn herself, unable to stop it. ". . . . But, for now, at least, let's hurry back inside and get some rest, especially before your parents might have realized you'd gone missing."

"Yeah, that's _right!_ I was supposed to be on lockdown, doing my homework and studying before you showed up," Elyon then recalled softly, creeping around to the back of her house where her bedroom was as quietly as she could, so as not to arouse her now possibly slumbering parents inside. "I'm _so_ bushed now, though, I don't think I could honestly manage reading _one_ page from any of my textbooks, let alone completing them all. I don't even have any energy to change my clothes for bed or go sneak a quick snack, since I'm still a bit hungry. . . ."

Lightly rubbing her renewed grumbling stomach as an afterthought with one hand, while carefully cradling the slate gray tinted feline with the other, Elyon cautiously climbed through her still open bedroom window, careful not to bump into anything, as the room was now dark due to the bright Florida sun having long since been set.

"All right! We made it, Csilla," the teenager whispered excitedly against the cat's ear once they were both back inside of her room. "I can't beli -"

"- I wouldn't get _too_ excited just yet, young lady," the all too familiar voice of Elyon's father suddenly sounded within the room previously thought by the blonde to be empty, while simultaneously believed by both of her parents to have been obediently _occupied_ all this time.

Both Elyon and Csilla jumped with a start, as the light to her bedroom then turned on, and regrettably rested her periwinkle colored eyes upon the seething amber locked and light brunet duo which were her parents.

". . . . Uh oh," was all the busted teenager could manage with a sheepish smile, while Csilla exhaled softly in sympathy, well aware that yet another punishment, one quite possibly more harsh than the last earlier that evening, was now swiftly heading the girl's way.

**\- End of Act 1**


	3. ℓ Act 2 ℓ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--------
> 
> This chapter was created/written in April 2009.
> 
> \--------

A lone, towering, ominous and a bit dilapidated castle, perched high atop a small mountain of sorts, overlooked a sullen, barren wasteland, as the stale wind howled menacingly throughout the surrounding atmosphere.

Black, billowing clouds continued to form and increasingly darken as it cascaded over the forsaken land, creating a picture of great despair and abandonment.

However, that was precisely the way he'd preferred it.

His forgotten planet.

His _kingdom_.

It had always been far too cheerful and luminescent for his personal taste, the way he had remembered it . . . so long ago and once upon a time.

Now, it was finally his to mold into his own design, his image, without any prohibiting obstacles this time.

_This_ time, everything would be different.

_This_ time, he would have his utmost _vengeance_. . . .

_Of course, I will have to succeed in locating it first . . . the Star of Threbe_ , he thought to himself in anxious bitterness with a small frown upon his pale face, looking out of one of the many dusty, stained glass windows which adorned his darkened, and otherwise empty throne room, and out into the empty atmosphere outside. _I haven't survived through everything, just to fail now. . . . Or rather, that_ _fool_ _of mine had better not fail. . . ._

As though on cue, the nearly pitch black, empty room suddenly became partially alight with a curious, burgundy colored glow from behind him, before dimming away into nothingness.

". . . . _Well?_ You still have yet to find the Star of Threbe, have you?" he said to the newcomer behind him without bothering to turn his soft golden colored, and long locked head. The scowl upon his face deepened, although his voice had remained oddly calm and collected, which surprisingly did nothing to soothe the being now promptly bowing in respect, almost within mixed respect as _well_ as trepidation.

"N-No, my master . . . _f-forgive_ me!" said the cowering individual, male in gender, as well, before sinking to the cold, broken marble floor on one knee and bowing his red colored head in shame. "While there is no excuse for it, I was . . . that is, one of the Entities I had deployed out to possess one of the many pitiful humans back on earth - In order to collect their life energy in your name, of course - had been defeated in the process . . . by a-a girl. . . . Sailormeridian, I believe. . . ."

At this, the flax haired, older man lightly tensed up, his brow rising slightly with intrigue, as he turned around to face his loyal servant.

". . . . 'Sailormeridian,' hmm? . . . . Interesting, indeed," he remarked softly, blue eyes boring into the brown, progressively nervous gems of the young redhead still kneeling obediently before him. "It seems the game has just become a bit more titillating. . . . No matter. You still have your instructions, the same as always: You are to collect as much of the earth's energy as possible, for the ultimate benefit of our Great Ally . . . and to continue searching for the Star of Threbe."

"Y-Yes, master. . . . As one of your loyal Dark Generals, I, Deite, shall not fail you, again!" firmly avowed the epaulette adorned, maroon uniformed young man, his confidence returning to him as he began to believe within his steady convictions once more. "And I will _personally_ see to it that this Sailormeridian, _whoever_ she is, is swiftly eradicated at once!"

The taller, slender man looming over the one known as Deite gave a small nod of approval, before abruptly turning back around towards the window.

"Hmm . . . very well, then. See that you do, Deite," he said evenly, although both he and his servant were well aware of the blatant warning underlined within his words. He blindly gave a dismissive wave of his right, bejeweled hand over his shoulder and towards the general, who immediately stood from his spot before magically vanishing from view within the same reddened light as before.

Now alone with his ever urgent thoughts once again, the mysterious male slowly lowered his raised appendage, before lightly placing it underneath his auburn colored and goateed chin.

". . . . Sailormeridian. . . . I wonder. . . ." he murmured, his facial expression growing a bit pensive, as he continued to gaze out into the vacant land which his equally vacant kingdom surveyed. . . .

* * *

"I'm telling you the _truth!_ It really _did_ feel so real!" Elyon overheard Alchemy exclaim heatedly to their mutual friends, twins Courtney and Bess Grumper, as the blonde walked out of their high school's exits at the end of yet another school day in the middle of that current week.

_Oh no, not_ _this_ _again_ , Elyon thought nervously to herself as she slowly approached the vicinity where her three friends' stood, just outside of the school's front archway and on the surrounding sidewalk. _How many times is she going to bring that up?_

It had been nearly a week since that fateful evening, when Alchemy and several others attending her father's latest jewelry exhibit had been mysteriously attacked . . . by none other than Alchemy's father, himself. Or, at least, his _body_ , anyway, as his mind and soul had been shut down and taken over by a rather vile and intimidating monster Elyon would rather forget about, altogether.

But, she highly doubted she'd _ever_ be able to, not since she had been the one to directly take it on and destroy it . . . as the newly awakened Sailormeridian, thanks to the intervening efforts of one rather strange, actually-able-to-talk feline named Csilla, whom she had met that very same day. It had all still seemed quite surreal to the young fourteen-year-old, her life seeming to have been changed forever as a result. Well, according to Csilla and all she had kept trying to hammer into Elyon's head over the last few days since that night, anyway.

One moment, she was simply a mere high school freshman, bright-eyed and innocent, and eager to make new friends and experiences. However, she hadn't counted on or intended for any of _this,_ to apparently be a newfound "soldier for the good, just, and innocent," as the furry, grayish feline had put it, to be one of them!

" _It is now up to you, Elyon, as the soldier of justice, to be ever vigilant and protect the city! You never know when the enemy may strike next!" Csilla had informed the reluctant and forlorn Elyon the following afternoon after her very first transformation, lightly tapping one of her tiny paws against the girl's wrist while the blonde continued to lay, sulking, upon her bed._

_As expected, her parents had been none too pleased to find that their daughter had disobeyed their explicit orders for her to remain within her bedroom and study, especially after having completely bombed her Algebra quiz. And as further punishment for having apparently snuck out, Mr. and Mrs. Brown (who could no longer see anything sympathetic nor humorous to her daughter's plight as she had earlier that evening, before the girl's little outing) had unanimously decided to extend it to a grounding of two weeks, with all of her usual, privileged luxuries taken away, just as Elyon had feared._

_No television, radio, CD or MP3 player, or even side trips to the mall or other such places in order to hang out with friends, as she usually might have done after school or during the weekend. Indeed, Elyon had had (and still did, as far as she was concerned) a lot to be upset and depressed over, especially since there was really nothing she could have said to her parents, otherwise._

" _Ya know, I'd_ _really_ _rather not listen to anything further you have to say about this so called destiny of mine, Csilla, all right? In fact, it's because of_ _you_ _I'm even in this mess to begin with! My life is on complete lockdown for the next two weeks, and I can't even at least have good ol' Cornelia Hale to keep me company, with her music cheering me up, thanks to my folks taking my CD and MP3 player away, as well!" Elyon had hissed at the talking cat sitting next to her torso on the bed, and promptly rolled over onto her side with her back facing the animal. "And it isn't as though I could have told them the truth and actually said, 'Oh, hey! No worries, Mom and Dad! It's totally cool! You see, actually, this cat, here, can talk! Yeah, yeah!_ _And_ _it just so happens, according to her, that I'm some new magical_ _freak_ _who can throw mystical tiaras as_ _Frisbees_ _at my enemy - Which was what I was busy doing all this time while I was away, besides trying not to_ _die_ _in the process!'"_

" _Not in so many . . . 'colorful' words, no, you could not have, indeed, Elyon. But, at least they seemed to buy into your story of having found me wandering outside of your school and had followed you home, so you decided to adopt me, as it were," Csilla had remarked with a small frown in vexation towards her new charge's dismissive attitude towards the impending task at hand. "And anyway, it really_ _was_ _your fault to begin with, young lady. If you hadn't been slacking off and had just studied when you were_ _supposed_ _to, then you would have never failed your Algebra exam, and therefore, have never needed to be punished in the first place!"_

_Elyon had swiftly turned her head towards the brooding feline at this, and glared severe daggers at her before speaking._

" _What, were you stalking me since the weekend, and even here at my house, as well? Well, I've got news for you,_ _cat_ _: You're very lucky my parents are kindhearted by default, and even though immensely peeved at me at the time - And, well, still, actually, sadly - they still managed to overlook my so called 'disobedience' and let me keep you at all! Although, they probably mainly took pity on you, thinking that there's something wrong with you, thanks to that starry_ _bald spot_ _of yours!" she'd taunted menacingly, lightly poking at the emerald colored, seven-pointed star shape curiously adorning the blue-gray animal's forehead with her index finger. "Anyway! As soon as I'm able to, once my bogus punishment's over, I'm bringing you to an animal shelter! And in that way, I'll be free of both you, and your incessant desire to fight more creepy looking monsters like the one which had somehow possessed Mr. Selwyn!"_

_Csilla had gasped sharply, both at the girl's flagrant remark over her sigil-like spot upon her furry head, in addition to her apparent wish to send the cat to such a cold and lonely place as an animal shelter. She'd immediately shivered at the thought, before hissing lightly at the dishwater blonde and moved away from her._

" _You wouldn't_ _dare_ _! After all, who else will be left to teach and train you as a Guardian Soldier, eh? You wouldn't want another Entity to come along and try to attack any more of your friends, and you'd be left defenseless and ill-trained to protect them, now, would you?" she had tactfully queried, choosing to play upon the pigtailed girl's profound loyalty to her best friend, Alchemy . . . perhaps one of the only admirable traits she'd possessed, as far as Csilla was concerned thus far._

_Seeing that that had sparked a renewed interest with Elyon, as she slowly rolled back over to face the cat once more, Csilla had continued on within revealing more about the girl's prestigious mission._

" _. . . . Good. That's what I thought. Now, then! The monster you'd faced last night, or Entity, rather, as they are more properly called, may have been a bit tricky to handle initially, but you'd managed to defeat it by looking within yourself and drawing upon the innate power carried within as a Guardian Soldier. However, that particular beast had also been a bit weak, as well, meaning there are and_ _will_ _be far more stronger Entities heading your way in the near future," she'd began tentatively, a deep frown forming upon her fluffy countenance over the seriousness in topic. "That is why we need to locate and recruit the other Guardians as swiftly as possible in order to help you fight, in addition to also finding our missing princess. . . ."_

" _. . . . Yeah, so you'd told me yesterday," Elyon had murmured with tiredness, exhaling softly before slowly sitting up within her bed and gazed down at the feline with a thoughtful furrowing of her own brow. "So, then . . . just what are these monsters - Er, '_ _Entities_ _,' anyway? And my apparent comrades and this princess, who_ _are_ _they? Do you even know, Csilla?"_

_Csilla lightly shook her head, before slightly cocking it to the side in reflection, her long and slender tail now lazily swishing back and forth in intrigue._

" _These creatures, like the one you had faced, are vile,_ _cursed_ _beings which should not be allowed to exist -Within this, or any_ _other_ _world, for that matter," she'd replied with a small twitching of her long, gray whiskers. "And as for your comrades, as of right now, I am unsure as to whom they might be - Including the Princess. However, just as I had felt when I'd first met and found you, I will be able to immediately tell without a doubt it is them. That they are one of the Guardian Soldiers, like you. . . ."_

_Elyon had merely nodded slowly in understanding and reluctant acceptance at this, turning her attention away from her chatty, apparent guardian for a moment to look out her open window. By that time, the sun had been slowly beginning to set, reminding her all the more of the events of the previous evening, as that particular setting had been near identical._

_She'd still been rather unable to believe it, or that there were apparently others out there just like her,_ _or_ _, how she now was. . . ._

_It was then that a thought had come to her._

" _H-Hey,_ _wait_ _a minute, Csilla! What about Sailor V? O-Or that guy who'd appeared after last night's fight! U-Um . . . 'Tuxedo Kamen!' Yeah, that's it! What about_ _them_ _? They've_ _gotta_ _be our allies, as well!" Elyon had suddenly gushed excitedly, lightly clapping her hands together in further animation, as she'd returned her attention back onto the small cat seated before her. "I mean, yeah! Sailor V is always out there, helping people and taking down bad guys, right? And she's kinda dressed like I was as Sailormeridian, too! Then there's Tuxedo Kamen, who . . . well, was dressed like he was going to a masquerade ball or something, true, so could have very well been just some random weirdo who'd happened upon the scene. . . . But, he_ _did_ _seem to know me - Or, at least, what I was trying to do, anyway, and seemed . . . genuinely concerned for me and my well being. . . ."_

_Csilla had suppressed the sigh which had desired to escape past her fur-lined lips just then, and instead batted her tail a bit more fiercely in responsive, as she'd watched her charge's slightly daydream-like and glazed over expression after having trailed off about the mysterious and ruggedly handsome brunet._

" _. . . . Hmm . . . I don't honestly think so, Elyon, no. While Sailor V_ _might_ _be a possibility, I'll give you that, this Tuxedo Kamen character should be of no significance to_ _either_ _of us, as it's highly improbable that we'll ever see him again, anyhow," she'd stated in slight disagreement, jumping off of the bed and moving towards the open window. "No. As I'd just said, whomever our future comrades will happen to be, I'll know for sure. . . . Now, get some rest, all right? You've school in the morning, after all. I'll be back in a little while, after I've finished . . . a few things. No, worries, Elyon: We will find them all."_

_Yeah, and it's been several days since you'd said all of that, and we_ _still_ _haven't,_ Elyon thought to herself in reflection upon that particular conversation, lightly shaking her soft blonde colored head as her mind returned to the present. _Not that I'm really eager to resume fighting monsters and other creepy crawlers, though - I'm definitely thankful that there hasn't seemed to be any latest and strange activities happening around here since the attack upon Alchemy and her dad. Still . . . I wonder when I'll meet the next Guardian Soldier, and whom they'll end up being. . . ._

"Now, if only Alkie would just let go about that so called 'dream' of hers, already - _And_ I wouldn't have to keep playing 'dumb' to it - then my life would be _a lot_ easier," she softly murmured underneath her breath as an afterthought, as she apprehensively approached the trio of companions who had at that moment caught sight of her.

"Oh! _Yes!_ Elyon, thank _God!_ Can you _please_ tell these two 'Doubtful Downers' that I am telling the truth - _Have_ been telling the truth - about how my dad suddenly wasn't himself and attacked me and a whole bunch of other people in the audience at his jewelry exhibit a few days back? They keep calling me crazy, and saying that it was just a dream!" Alchemy cried out to her best friend with an exasperated groan, as she promptly scrambled toward her and affectionately interlocked her bare arm with hers.

Elyon tried her best to maintain her cool and continued act to play innocent upon the matter, giving the russet haired girl a lopsided grin in return before answering.

". . . . E-Er, well, I-I, uh -" she weakly began, before Courtney abruptly intervened with a snort and sassy smirk.

" _Please!_ See, Allie? Not even _Elle_ , here, can really back you up about this! And it's wrong of you to make her try to participate within your lies!" the cherry and wavy haired, freckle faced teenager chided within her usual condescending, natural tone; however, she gave a playful wink and stuck out her tongue towards the other girl.

Her slightly younger sister by three minutes, Bess, immediately nodded eagerly at this in agreement, before stepping forward to gently tap Alchemy's smooth forehead with her index finger.

"For _sure!_ I think it's just a case of poor, wittle Al's overactive imagination, is all! I mean, _really!_ An apparently possessed father, shooting out some weird and misty, well . . . _mist_ out towards a bunch of people, before turning on his own _daughter_ , and _then_ some sailor suited, Sailor V _wannabe_ chick shows up to fight 'em? Get _real!_ " she remarked within her own traditionally cold tone, and yet still managed to giggle gaily as Alchemy began swatting at her hand. "There's no way such a cool dad as yours would _ever_ do something messed up and crazy as that, Alchemy, seriously! _Right_ , Elyon?"

Elyon, who had been too busy being preoccupied by the newest, previously unknown tidbit that her best friend had apparently been conscious, or had resumed consciousness, rather, long enough to catch sight of her within her Guardian form (and thus, was beginning to inwardly freak out over it), nearly jumped straight out of her skin the moment she heard her name being mentioned within the same sentence.

"I-It wasn't me, I _swear!"_ she unexpectedly blurted out with a vigorous shake of her blonde head and wave of her free arm, causing her three companions to gaze upon her within severe perplexity.

". . . . 'It wasn't you,' _what_ , Elyon?" Courtney asked with an immediate narrowing of her light green eyes in suspicion, while Bess began to eyeball the girl, as well.

"Y-Yeah, Ellie - You okay, there? You look like you'd just been accused of committing a _crime_ , or something," Alchemy added softly, smiling gently at her flustered friend and patting her shoulder in comfort.

Elyon silently cursed herself, realizing her mistake at nearly revealing her (smartly chosen, it now seemed like, as apparently no one would believe her, otherwise) secretly identity as being her alter ego, Sailormeridian, and quickly tried to recover with a hurried excuse.

"O-Oh, that? S-Sorry! I was just saying t-that . . . that it wasn't me who put Alchemy up to this!" she responded, instantly cringing and regretting her choice of words, as she then caught sight of her best friend's surprised and taken aback expression.

" _W-What?_ Et _tu_ , Elle?" inquired the rust haired girl with widened eyes and stepped away from her friend, although thankfully did not seem honestly hurt. "For the _final_ time, _all_ of you: It _wasn't_ a dream! I _know_ it wasn't, and so does my _dad_ \- Or else, how would _you_ care to explain his having remembered _and_ experienced the same freaking thing I did? Now, I'm done talking about it to you guys - Ever _again_ , seriously. There's no point!"

The three friends of Elyon thankfully began to laugh in unison right then, apparently there not being any sort of hard feelings between them about the topic, and the blonde felt as though she could finally relax.

Right as she had begun chuckling, herself, albeit a bit nervous by nature, Bess suddenly piped up.

"Oh, _hey!_ Seriously, though, before we drop this for good, as per your request, milady, let's say we _were_ to believe you and that it'd really happened - What, _then_ , about that so called sailor girl you saw before passing out?" she asked thoughtfully, after having recovered from her fit of giggles.

Courtney nodded in agreement, while Elyon tensed up, although apparently not too visibly, as no one had bothered to pass mention to it.

"Yeah, _seriously_. If it _were_ real, then that girl's got a lot of nerve to be poaching Sailor V's territory like that, _especially_ apparently wearing _basically_ the same outfit as her, at that! _Talk_ about unoriginal and desperate for attention," she added with a roll of her eyes and dismissive wave of her hand. "No one could _ever_ fill Sailor V's radically _awesome_ shoes _or_ take her place! Now, come on: I'm in the mood for some raspberry sorbet - My treat!"

As the trio of gossiping teenagers began walking away from their school premises and further down the street, Elyon, instead, remained perfectly still. Was that _really_ necessary to go so far as to call her not only a wannabe, but some desperate, apparent _lunatic_ who's merely lonely for attention, and _that's_ why she's now masquerading around as 'Sailor V, Number Two?'

_I may not be as brave or as skilled as Sailor V, but I never said_ _or_ _thought I could ever take her place or even_ _wanted_ _to_ , she thought within saddened indignation, gazing down at her sandaled feet with a slight frown. _If anything, if I_ _have_ _to continue to fight as Sailormeridian, I'd want it to be_ _alongside_ _Sailor V, not in opposition. . . ._

"Hey! _Girlie!_ Ya comin,' or what?" Elyon abruptly heard Bess calling out to her with a grin and wave of her hand, as she looked up and towards her in the distance, then. "That sorbet ain't gonna wait on us, _forever_ , ya know!"

Elyon opened her mouth to respond, blushing slightly in embarrassment, when Alchemy jogged back over to her and spoke before she had, while the Grumper Sisters waited.

"Oh, yeah, that's right, you _can't_ yet, right? Not 'till your grounding's up, anyway. That really does suck, Elle - Going to the mall or hanging out with Mr. Hottie Cedric at the M.S. café, while listening to Cornelia Hale CDs just hasn't been the same without you," she said with a sympathetic smile, this time wrapping both arms around the other girl's neck in affect. "No, worries - I'll just hang out with you and walk you home, instead, okay?"

Elyon returned her friend's smile with her own, already feeling better, before slightly feeling worse all over again at the mention of her ongoing and rather irritating punishment.

"Thanks, Alkie, but no . . . it's all right. You go on ahead with the twins - I actually have somewhere to be right now, anyway," the dishwater blonde revealed with a melodramatic sigh, as Alchemy released her and gazed back at her in curiosity.

"Oh, yeah? But, I thought your folks restricted your outings to just school, though?" she posed a good question, lightly scratching the back of her russet colored, pixie cut head.

Elyon nodded in agreement, slowly walking towards the still awaiting Grumper siblings, who had both waved their hands towards the other duo in beckoning.

"Yes, that's true . . . _unfortunately_. But, even more unfortunate, now, is the fact that my dad's _totally_ forcing me to go and sign up for a tutor over at that Vixen's Academy or whatever," she revealed with a grumble, her light blue eyes darkening over night's memory of her father having commanded her to go directly to that particular school, and nowhere else, after having finished attending her own today.

"H-Hey! Don't you mean _Vesta's_ Academy for Girls? I've heard that that school is filled with nothing but rich and spoiled _geniuses!_ But, since when can your family, no offense, afford the services of any one of them? I'm sure they'll probably charge an arm and a leg to bother apparently being 'generous' with their expertise like that," Bess butted into the new conversation once her friends had come close enough, and the quartet resumed their united walk down the street.

Elyon shook her head at this, and lightly frowned.

"Well, I don't know about any of that, but apparently they've just started up this tutoring program for kids in elementary, middle and high school, up to the tenth grade, though," she explained, readjusting her hold upon her backpack, as she and her friends continued on in their journey. "That's what my dad told me, anyway. Said he saw a flyer on one of the bulletin boards at work the other day, and thought it'd be 'just the thing I need to get my scholastics back on track. And especially being hosted by this prestigious school, _and_ for free? Can't go wrong, there.' Yeah, except for the fact that I'm totally, and utterly _dreading_ it!"

"Yeah, _especially_ since you won't want to get stuck with that one girl who also goes there . . . what's her name. . . .? _Oh!_ Taranee Cook!" Courtney chimed in with an agreeable frown, as both she and her sister had never truly been big fans of extreme studying. "I heard that she's pretty rude and a bit standoffish, all stuck up and never bothering to really talk to anyone at her school - Or _anywhere_ , really, like she's _better_ than all of them, or something. Which is a _total_ shame and waste, too, though, since she apparently is like, one of, if not _the_ smartest student at that school, with a supposed IQ of around _260_ , or something!"

Bess nodded eagerly at her twin sister in concurrence, before tucking a few strands of her medium length and straight, crimson hair behind her ear, and blew some of the bangs she traditionally sported from out of her emerald eyes.

" _Totally!_ A real _ice queen_ with no friends! But if you can get past all of that, then I'd definitely suggest trying to get her as your tutor if she's signed up to volunteer, Elle, for sure! _Then_ you could get her to do your homework - Which is most likely _kindergarten_ stuff to her, by comparison to the nuclear science and other junk she probably studies - and get nothing but _A's_ all the time from now on!" she added with a wink towards the blonde, lightly poking her side in encouragement.

Alchemy lightly frowned in disapproval at this, and gently hit both twins upon each of their arms in affect.

"Now, that's not cool, you guys! You don't even _know_ this girl or ever met her before, and all you're doing is buying into the unfortunate hype that seems to continue surrounding her all the time - But, _no_ surprise, because you two _Dodo birds_ are _always_ listening to or spreading some form of gossip, after all," she playfully chastised, both she and Elyon watching in amusement, as the identical girls rubbed at their afflicted arms simultaneously and glared at the rust locked teenager. "Well, _I've_ heard that she's also quite the talented dancer, as well, and attends that dance school over on Sendai Street, ' _Madame Isadora Daskalov's School of Dance_.' So it seems that Taranee's pretty mutli-gifted; I bet she's really a nice person, and it's just that no one's ever bothered to give her a chance."

Elyon smiled lightly at her friend, moved by her never ending compassion for others by default. She was actually surprised, as well, that the girl and the Grumpers seemed to know so much about this Taranee Cook, and both institutes she apparently attended.

Elyon, herself, had only ever really heard mention of her in the past, perhaps only once, and that was solely learning of her name, itself, and nothing else.

_But, apparently she's quite the 'celebrity' around town, though_ , the petite blonde thought to herself in wonder, gazing up at the clear blue sky for a moment as she walked. _Maybe I really_ _should_ _try to have her as my tutor, if she's really that smart. . . ._

"Oooh! _Speaking_ of Madame Isadora's, did you hear? I heard from Bitsy Linderman, who heard it from Kyle Macy the other day during Study Hall, how apparently there has been quite an up rise in strange disappearances lately, in the last few days! And get _this!_ All of them have been girls who attend Madame Isadora's dance school!" Bess suddenly squealed, breaking through Elyon's distracted thoughts, as the quartet rounded a corner. "They say that the girls just vanish - _Poof!_ Without a trace! _That's_ why I'm staying as far away from Sendai Street as possible! Thank _God_ we live on the other side of town!"

"Chyeah, _definitely_ , sis! But I'll bet you _anything_ that those disappearances probably have to do with that Cook girl! She probably didn't want any sort of competition, so just _eliminated_ it," Courtney remarked with a scowl and folding of her arms. "I hope that once the cops or, better yet, _Sailor V_ really get involved in this, that they'll severely punish the culprit . . . a.k.a., _Taranee_. Seriously, Elle - Be careful when you go sign up for your tutor. You just never know. . . ."

"Hmm. . . ." was all Elyon could manage, already deep in renewed thought, as she vaguely heard Alchemy chastising their mutual friends all over again, before the three parted ways with the blonde at the next corner.

_There really isn't anything to worry about though, right? About this Taranee girl,_ _or_ _those apparent disappearances at her dance school? I mean, if it were true or really serious, then they couldn't possibly keep the place open . . . could they?_ Elyon thought to herself, as she continued on straight ahead, while her friends had turned right within the direction of one of the nearby ice cream parlors. _Since Csilla hasn't mentioned anything about it, I guess it really_ _isn't_ _anything to be concerned about, after all. . . ._

"Right. Because my main concern at the moment is getting a stupid tutor, before Dad chops my head off," she lightly mumbled in defeat, sighing heavily as she continued on her trek towards the nearby public transportation bus stop in order to finish her journey to Vesta's Academy for Girls.

* * *

"Well . . . here it is. . . . Wow, is this place _huge_ \- Yeah, _definitely_ a school for rich kids," Elyon gasped in awe to herself, after having gotten off of the bus and walked the few blocks over until she'd at last arrived at the academy.

She stood, with a bit of intimidation, in front of the large, partially open black gates which were erected at the end of a rather long, slightly winding and equally black roadway. And, at the very top of it, surrounded by a surplus of large palm trees and other such greenery, including plush rosebushes to and fro, was an enormous and brown colored building.

It seemed to stretch on for miles in either direction, with numerous windows to presumable classrooms adorning it, in addition to a four pillared archway and an overabundance of stairs at the front entrance.

"Geez . . . this place looks like a _mansion_ . . . or courthouse, even, more than an actual school," Elyon thoughtfully whispered to herself, as she took a deep breath in bravery and finished surveying the area. "And Taranee Cook goes here? What a lucky, apparently _very_ rich gal. Now, I kinda wish that _I_ could attend this school, too. . . . Well, here goes nothing."

With a firm nod in determination, the Portrait High School freshman quickly and carefully slipped through the front gates, and took her first couple of steps onto the campus of Vesta's Academy for Girls.

After another seven minutes or so, Elyon was at last directly before the front stairs of the school's entrance.

". . . . You can do this, Elyon. Just go in there, find where they're having signups for the tutoring, and then get out," she reassured herself as she gazed up at the white, closed double doors of the building. Swallowing the saliva she hadn't before realized had been accumulating within her mouth, she quickly rushed up the stairs and pulled open the unlocked doors before she might have lost her nerve.

The inside of the academy was just as prestigious, pristine, and posh as its outside, which make Elyon gasp in affect at the sight . . . especially after gazing upon several students still lurking about inside, and busy with their own separate affairs, as they walked throughout the elongated and rather spacious halls.

Elyon immediately began to feel her face growing extremely hot the moment she'd realized that nearly every female student within the immediate area had each stopped to stare back at her in wonder.

_Oh, God, how embarrassing! I probably look like a total_ _doof_ _, so underdressed like this - Especially with all of these girls wearing those pretty uniforms_ , she inwardly groaned, waving awkwardly at a few of the female passersby before she'd begun to shyly walk down the hallway.

It was true. Every last girl the blonde had seen or come across thus far, while within the academy's halls, were all wearing the same attire: a midnight tinted, nearly black looking blazer, with a beige insignia patch over the left breast, which almost looked like a strange, fiery symbol at first glance; plain white shirt and tie of the same color as the blazer underneath; and waist length, slate gray hued and plaid skirt, along with generic black shoes and knee high, onyx colored stockings.

This most certainly was a private school.

After wandering around aimlessly throughout the halls for a bit, Elyon at last decided to swallow down her nerves even further, in order to ask someone for directions to the tutoring program signups. She had, unfortunately, however, apparently managed to pick a rather discourteous young brunette, as the random girl displayed nothing but uncouthness throughout the entire exchange.

" _Ugh_. Don't tell me: Judging by the looks of you, you're yet _another_ one of the _local-yokels_ who've been coming here all week to sign up for a tutor, am I right?" the dark haired academy student inquired within a mocking, harsh tone, after Elyon had gotten her attention when she'd suddenly passed, brown eyes agleam with distinct superiority. "Can't say that I _blame_ you, though. I mean, our academy _is_ pretty well known and top ranking within the state - Hell, the _country_ \- as one of the best around. You're lucky we're being gracious enough with our precious time to even be _bothering_ to try to educate you _public_ school kids. It's just a shame that this isn't a _paying_ program, to make it more worthwhile - Although, watching some of your faces scrunch up in frustration, while your brain _taxes_ itself to comprehend the lesson you're being taught will nearly be worth it!"

That was all Elyon could bear, before she'd abruptly turned on her heel and ran back down the hallway and the way she'd came, away from the unhelpful, cruel girl who'd then began to laugh within her wake. The blonde, now profoundly mortified girl began to feel warm, fresh tears building up within her blue eyes, as she continued running, desperate to locate the nearest exit she could find.

_Looks like the Grumper Twins were right about the girls who go here - They_ _are_ _stuck up and coldhearted! Forget getting a tutor here, or at_ _all_ _, in fact! I don't care_ _how_ _mad Dad gets, or decides to ground me until high school graduation, because it is so not worth this humiliation!_ Elyon screamed within her head, furiously batting away the few, stray tears which had managed to escape her eye sockets and cascade down onto her reddening cheeks.

She gave a relieved exhale, catching sight of what appeared to be an exit, and immediately pressed all of her body weight against the door as she practically catapulted herself out of them.

" _Oof!"_ both she and another, female sounding, cried out in affliction, once the blonde's body had unexpectedly collided with something hard, yet soft at the same time.

Slowly reopening her eyes, as she had promptly closed them in alarm upon impact, Elyon gazed up to see that it was yet another uniformed girl, who stared back at her in perplexity.

_Oh, great. Just what I needed. Now_ _she'll_ _probably tell me to watch where I'm going before throwing in a few quick, verbal jabs my way_ , she thought deplorably, quickly raising her arms to clear away the rest of her fallen tears with the back of her bare arms, before the other girl could have commented.

However, for whatever reason, Elyon did not honestly sense any sort of malice or ill will manifesting off of the slender, slightly taller and mocha skinned teenager. If anything, the shoulder length and French braided, raven haired girl seemed to be just as taken aback as the blonde, and promptly reached up to readjust her slender and dark framed eyeglasses.

"O-Oh, uh . . . s-s-sorry about that," Elyon weakly and somehow managed to muster towards the chocolate eyed girl, shyly looking away from her for a few moments, before gathering up enough courage to resume her gaze.

". . . . It was . . . nothing. Don't worry about it," the taller girl quietly responded, seemingly a bit timid, herself, as she, as well, looked away from the blonde. Elyon watched her as she began to shift a bit awkwardly within her place, firmly clutching onto the single strap of her burgundy colored shoulder bag. Suddenly, she looked back up at the blue eyed girl and said, rather hurriedly, "W-Well, I have to go now, so . . . goodbye."

Caught off guard by the abrupt closing, Elyon quickly blinked a couple of times in surprise (mainly due to the fact that her instincts had apparently been right about the other girl really _not_ being mean hearted, it seemed), before calling after the already retreating young woman.

"Y-Yeah! 'Bye, then . . . oh! And sorry again!" she called out to her, watching the raven locked student swiftly walking away, as though rather eager to get as far away from Elyon as possible . . . a notion which strangely made her feel a bit sad as a result. "Hmm. . . ."

With a small shrug of her shoulders, Elyon let out a tiny sigh as she decided to move on and let the matter go before heading back home, when she suddenly felt one of her sandaled feet blindly bump into something slightly hard.

At last taking her eyes off of the increasingly small figure of the unknown academy student, who had, at that same moment, just rounded a corner behind another nearby building of the academy, Elyon gazed down to see what appeared to be a white colored daily planner lying upon the ground.

"Huh? Did that girl just drop this? Must've somehow fallen out of her bag when I'd bumped into her," the teenager murmured to herself in wonder, bending over to pick up the discarded booklet and examined it.

Cracking it open in order to see if any names, numbers or even addresses were written somewhere inside, Elyon gasped sharply at what she'd read upon the first page:

_Property of Taranee Cook_.

"Nooo, _way!_ That was _Taranee?_ How totally ironic!" the pigtailed girl gushed in affect and widened eyes, promptly closing the planner and looking back towards where the girl apparently now known to have been Taranee had last been seen. "She didn't _seem_ 'stuck up 'or 'standoffish' at all! Maybe a bit _shy_ , sure, but who cares? I'd better go see if I can't catch up to her to return this!"

And with that, Elyon broke out into a fierce sprint, racing towards the direction Taranee had headed before her.

"H-Hey, Taranee, wa -!" the dishwater blonde started, before abruptly cutting herself off the moment she'd rounded the corner the dark haired girl had vanished behind, and could not see her anywhere. "Huh? Hmm . . . I wonder if she went inside one of these buildings. . . . But there's no _way_ I'm going back in there! Ugh . . . what do I do, _now?"_

Biting down onto her soft, pink lips in further thought a moment, a new idea had then suddenly come to her.

"Taranee's planner! Maybe she's written down where she might be heading to next!" Elyon said to herself in revelation and a small smile, immediately beginning to flip through the rumored genius's daily organizer and to the latest written page.

She lightly trailed her index finger down the white colored page, ignoring the various, neatly written entries with timestamps of early morning and afternoon, until at last reaching the entry she was hoping to find:

' _3:00 pm – 4:15 pm: Madame Isadora Daskalov's School of Dance'_

" _Yes!_ Here it is! Where she's quite possibly headed to next! And it's . . . two-thirty right now. I bet I can catch up to her if I get going right now," Elyon squealed in triumph, promptly closing Taranee's planner and placed it within her own book bag, before running down the nearby hill and towards the closest exit she could find. "I can only hope that those stories about the disappearances over there _aren't_ true, though, for my own sake. . . ."

* * *

_Here I am, finally back again, after being unable to attend due to having the flu the last two weeks. . . . I wonder if the strong, negative vibes I've been feeling, especially today, are in conjunction with what's been going on around here lately, with those rumors of supposed disappearances_ , the thoughtful and very reserved Taranee Cook silently reflected upon her arrival to the familiar site, _Madame Isadora Daskalov's School of Dance_. _Perhaps it will be_ _my_ _turn to vanish like the others, then. . . ._

The currently somber, African-Asian American fourteen-year-old gave a small wave in goodbye to the departing, black and sleek Rolls Royce and its driver, one of her family's employees who had just dropped her off to her weekly appointment.

As per usual, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon, from three o'clock until four-fifteen, the naturally slender and blossoming young beauty would leave her private school, Vesta's Academy for Girls, and head straight over to her dance lesson.

Mondays and Fridays were her tap and jazz sessions, while Wednesdays were specifically dedicated to ballet. And being that today so happened to be a Wednesday, Taranee carried with her all of her appropriate attire and ballet slippers to change into once she'd gone inside.

Next to photography, a bit of classical music and sports, particularly basketball, dancing was the young teenager's absolute passion. She'd enjoyed it immensely, and had been learning it since she was three-years-old. It was, in truth, one of the only times she could ever truly lose herself within the moment, let her guard down, and simply be herself. . . .

After all, it was nearly everywhere else, wherever she'd go in or around the Florida city of Heatherfield, when Taranee would habitually be made to feel like an outsider, even a freak, by her peers, simply due to her extraordinary and gifted intelligence.

She had been this way for as long as she could remember, and had always attended the best and most private of schools, courtesy of the privileged life both of her parents, the prestigious judge, Theresa, and respected ex-lawyer-turned-psychologist, Lionel, had continually bestowed upon her and including her older brother, Peter.

Nothing had ever been too good or too expensive for their youngest child, it seemed, taking immense pride within their daughter's phenomenal prowess. And Taranee, never having been one to desire anything more than to continue on making her family proud of her, had always obliged, studying very hard and doing her absolute best in everything she'd pursue.

Lately, however, the raven haired girl had begun to feel herself desiring more than the life she'd always led up to now . . . perhaps even a _friend_.

_I wonder if my parents would treat me differently, or the girls at school would actually talk to me and maybe even_ _like_ _me, if any of them were aware of my façade_ , Taranee thought solemnly, gently pushing back her dark framed eyeglasses closer to her brilliant, brown eyes, before walking up the slight hill that led to her dancing school.

It was true . . . well, _partially_ , at least, as Taranee had really never ever been quite sure.

While it was true that she was always consistent within earning top scores throughout her academic career, a fact well known throughout the city and perhaps, even the state, there was another tidbit no one was aware of:

Taranee inexplicably possessed psychic abilities.

Or, at least, it's what she'd decided to label it, anyway, as she had somehow always, since she was a little girl, been able to simply . . . predict, or sense the outcome of an upcoming situation, even to the point of occasionally being able to eerily pick up upon another individual's thoughts.

For years, the lonely girl had been trying to figure out and understand her ability and, moreover, why it was happening to _her_ , but hadn't ever really come close to any definite conclusions . . . especially since the occurrences were never honestly steady or controlled, and would simply and suddenly overwhelm her at any random and given time.

It would honestly make her feel as though she were going insane, and leave her wondering, many a time, if the intelligence she wielded was honestly of her own genetic makeup, or perhaps due to her telepathic tendencies.

Taranee would spend many nights, lying awake within her bed while looking at her vast trophy case filled with various, colorful first place ribbons and other awards of the past, and pondered if any of them had been truly earned through her hard work . . . _or_ by having unintentionally read someone else's mind without having realized.

And even though she now dearly and secretly wished to have a companion, one who was true and wasn't using her bonafide smarts for personal gain by temporarily befriending her, the mocha skinned girl honestly wondered how it would even be possible - Or _comfortable_ , even, for either party, due to what she could do with her mind, unconscious or not.

_It certainly puts a further damper upon my_ _dating_ _life, as well . . . well, if I even_ _had_ _one, at least_ , Taranee mused with a sigh as her rapidly changing thoughts continued to shift, tucking a loose strand of her shoulder length and French braided dark hair behind her ear. _Any guy I ever find remotely interesting never gives me a chance, because of my 'celebrity status' as the 'resident genius' in this city. They're usually all too intimidated by me; it's always the same. . . ._

It was sad, but true. Although still a bit young yet, the bright, young teenager had never had a boyfriend, or a first kiss, for that matter, and it was becoming rather frustrating, indeed. And while she had never ever truly thought of herself as drop dead gorgeous, she was still aware that she was, at the very least, rather pretty, and so was confident that she could attract a boy - _Any_ boy, if ever they'd look past her vast intellect for long enough.

"Well . . . maybe someday," Taranee murmured gently to herself in waning self reassurance, gazing down at her shiny and black, school uniform shoes as she continued to walk, before abruptly feeling someone ram into her left shoulder as they passed.

" _O-Ow!_ H-Hey, I -"she started in alarm, before promptly trailing off the moment her eyes landed upon a rather handsome and average height redhead. Taranee felt her naturally dark cheeks grow even darker, within a plum tinted shade, as she began to blush profusely in embarrassment.

The unknown young man, presumably around the same age as the girl, if not slightly older, merely smiled a rather devilishly charming smile at her, deep brown eyes twinkling in intrigue.

"Oooh . . . _sorry_ about that. I guess I wasn't looking where I was going . . . although, now, I'm kinda _glad_ for it," he spoke within a suave, obviously flirtatious voice, before winking gaily at Taranee and causing her cheeks to become even more inflamed.

She stammered for a few moments, absolutely speechless over what to say next. This had never happened to her before! A guy was actually _flirting_ with her, _and_ blatantly scoping her out!

Was this a daydream, induced by her previous thoughts of longing for both friends and a boyfriend, or her psychic abilities kicking in, again?

_Or_ , was it simply fate?

Realizing that she had merely been standing there, much like the fool she most certainly was _not_ , by default, at least, Taranee quickly cleared her throat and timidly gazed back at the expectant boy.

"Oh! I-I, um . . . it was . . . no problem?" she began awkwardly, phrasing her reply more so as an honest question rather than a statement, a personal observation which caused her to inwardly kick herself and smile a bit lopsidedly as a result. "T-That is to say, it was as much _my_ fault as it was yours! N-Not that I'm _blaming_ you, or anything, though! I just -"

"- It's all right, my lovely. I completely understand," interrupted the unidentified, smooth talking male, bestowing Taranee with yet another debonair sort of simper, at the same time he'd reached up to run a slightly tanned hand through his medium length and loose locks.

' _My lovely?' He thinks I'm lovely?_ The usually calm and collected female intellect inwardly squealed with delight, her heart now all aflutter as she tried her honest best to maintain her composure . . . if only _outwardly_ , in any case.

"So . . . would it be asking too much to know the name of the angel who'd so _graciously_ bumped straight into my life?" Taranee nearly gasped to hear the male stranger ask, and she immediately smiled shyly and momentarily looked away from him before responding.

"Er . . . Taranee. Taranee Cook," she said, surprised and yet relieved not to see the unknown teenager react within a negative manner upon learning of her name, as most other males she'd encountered would if they hadn't already known it or her face by reference.

Instead, the boy merely grinned broadly, his dark brown eyes briefly flashing with a curious expression Taranee could not honestly place, before they relaxed into one of further intrigue.

". . . .Really, now? A _beautiful_ name, for a beautiful _girl_ ," he complimented without missing a beat, unexpectedly reaching out for the girl's hand and gently kissed it. "And as for myself, you can call me . . . _Nigel_. . . . Until we meet again, fair maiden. . . ."

Before Taranee could have said another word, the redhead apparently known as simply Nigel regrettably relinquished her slender, now tingling hand, gave a quick wink within her direction, and continued on down the hill away from her.

Even if she had wanted to (which, of course, she did), the raven haired girl would have been unable to prevent the flirtatious boy from going, as she now found herself utterly trapped within an honest daze of euphoria . . . a feeling she hadn't felt in a very long while.

". . . . Nigel," Taranee murmured softly to herself in wondrous longing, looking after the retreating boy until she could no longer see him, before gazing down at the hand he had so chastely kissed. "I wonder when or if I'll ever see him again. . . ."

Suddenly no longer feeling any sort of previous forlornness over her admittedly lonely life, or the inexplicable, honest dread she had been experiencing for most of that week, Taranee gave a small, genuine smile to herself before turning, and peacefully resumed her walk towards her intended destination.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the currently fantasizing and apparently love struck girl, she really _would_ be seeing the redhead far sooner than she thought . . . and she didn't even need to her psychic abilities for that, either.

Waiting until he was sure she could no longer see him, Nigel abruptly turned back around and headed into a nearby alleyway. A dark and nearly twisted smile then spread across his lips and marred his previously good looking and seemingly innocent countenance.

"Hm, hm, hm. . . . I can sense a lot of energy within that one. And lucky for me, it seems as though she may be heading towards that dance school nearby, based upon that duffel bag she had with her. Looks like she'll get to have the prestigious honor of being my _latest_ victim," he chuckled evilly to himself, raising one of his arms and lightly clenching his fist in effect, before suddenly vanishing within a flash of maroon colored light.

* * *

"I wonder if I got off at the right stop. . . . Alchemy and the Grumper Twins had said Madame Isadora's is located on Sendai Street, so . . . I think this is the one," Elyon softly murmured to herself in wonder, after having gotten off of the bus she had taken in order to follow after the elusive intellect, Taranee. "I just hope that she's really here, so I can give her back her planner. . . ."

The dishwater blonde began her trek up the slightly steep hill, her heart beginning to beat a bit faster as her mind began to wander back to earlier that afternoon, and of the stories her friends were talking about in regards to the apparently vanishing girls within the area:

" _. . . .Apparently there has been quite an up rise in strange disappearances lately. . . . All of them have been girls who attend Madame Isadora's dance school! . . . . They say that the girls just vanish - Poof! Without a trace!"_

"Oooh, I _really_ hope that it's not true! I really don't want to be the ne -"

"- _Elyon!_ "

" _Ahhh!"_ the petite young teenager promptly screeched in alarm, nearly jumping ten feet in the air, as she suddenly heard a disembodied voice call out her name from behind.

Whirling around, Elyon immediately squeezed her blue eyes shut and clasped her hands together in merciful pleading with whom she now presumed to be the supposed attacker.

"Oh, _please_ don't kidnap me, too, I'm _begging_ of you! I-I'll give you anything you want!" she cried out blindly, vigorously shaking her head in further protest.

"What on _earth_ are you talking about, Elyon? It's _me_ , Csilla! Now, calm down, before you make a public spectacle of yourself!" the previously frantic girl could hear the formerly unknown voice identify herself to be none other than her furry feline's bark as quietly as she could up at her, so as not to draw further attention to themselves.

" _C-Csilla?"_ Elyon lightly gasped in surprise, upon slowly opening her eyes to gaze down at her newfound guardian. Sure enough, the familiar, blue-gray female cat was standing before her at her feet, with emerald eyes narrowed within blatant vexation and tail raised in curiosity. "W-What are _you_ doing all the way out here, and by yourself?"

"I could say the same for _you_ , of course," Csilla countered in reply, swaying her tail back and forth, as her eyes began to soften at the realization that her charge was apparently concerned for her well being.

Elyon promptly bent over to scoop up the fluffy, tiny animal, and cradled her within one arm while readjusting her book bag with the other.

"Me? I just got here, actually. I know, I _know_ : 'Weren't you supposed to be getting a tutor over at _Vesta's Academy for Girls_ like your father had instructed?' _Yes_ , Csilla, all right? But that's actually a long story, one I'll tell you about later, and _then_ you - _And_ my dad, I'm sure, can scold me all you want. Right _now_ , however, I'm on my way to return something to one of the academy's students - She'd dropped it when I'd accidentally bumped into her back there," she explained after resuming her walk, her consistently messy pigtails swinging gaily back and forth as she did so.

Csilla merely nodded gently and paused a moment, before speaking, herself.

"I see. . . . So, it wasn't because you were feeling anything strange or negative around this area? I must admit, I was rather surprised to see you here without my prompting. I was about to say that your powers as a Guardian Soldier are already growing fast within you. . . . It seems as though I was mistaken," she commented in distinct disappointment, looking up at the teenager in time to see her glaring back down at her. "W-What?"

"You know, Csilla, with all the regular doubtfulness you keep throwing my way, it's really no mystery why my apparent Guardian powers haven't manifested any further or _whatever_ , or why, no, I _don't_ honestly feel any negativity around this place, because I'm far too busy being congested with _yours!_ " Elyon lightly snapped at the momentarily taken aback feline, who then returned the flat glance back to her. "And I'll have you know that I _already_ know all about those so called missing person cases around here, too! _Probably_ even learned about it before _you_ had! But if it was so urgent, why hadn't you come looking for me after school? You knew where I'd be."

Csilla exhaled deeply at this, closing her eyes in fatigue and frustration before reopening them.

"You've actually heard about those cases? Then I'm obliged to reveal that I'm surprised yet again . . . although, knowing you, you'd most likely heard it in passing somewhere, courtesy of a gossiping, _chatty_ friend or two, no doubt," she remarked with a fierce batting of her slender tail against Elyon's arm and torso. "And as for why I hadn't enlisted your help just yet, it was because I wanted to check it out for myself first, in order to make sure that it really _was_ legit, as well as safe for you to come tagging along."

"'Tagging along?' If anything, _you're_ the one who -"

"- _Talking_ to yourself now, I see, Piggy Tails? The list of things apparently _wrong_ with you just keeps growing and growing, it seems," Elyon suddenly heard a new voice, male and strangely a bit familiar, speak from behind her.

Both she and Csilla immediately tensed up, undoubtedly feeling quite nervous and wondering whether or not this newcomer had gotten a chance to hear the cat speak, as well.

Slowly turning around, Elyon's heart promptly plummeted straight into her stomach, the moment her soft blue eyes met with the green pair of the regrettable and rather coarse young man she had had the misfortune to come across several days earlier.

"Ick! It's _you!_ What are you, seriously _stalking_ me now, or something?" she hissed at the vaguely acquainted, yet still unnamed brunet, shivering uncontrollably in disgust . . . or perhaps even something else, especially once the blonde began to focus upon his eyes a bit more.

_. . . . It really is a shame that someone so absolutely_ _gross_ _could have such nice eyes. . . . They kinda remind me of Tuxedo Kamen's. . . ._ she thought in passing unexpectedly, causing her cheeks to become profusely red in embarrassment _._ _W-What_ _? No way! What am I saying? There's no way that this jerk could_ _ever_ _measure up to a possible hero like Tuxedo Kamen! A-And Tuxedo Kamen, as helpful, friendly and . . . admittedly sort of handsome as he had been, could_ _never_ _take the place of my darling Cedric! I've_ _gotta_ _stop thinking like this!_

Elyon forced the scowl that had been upon her face to deepen, as she continued to stare up at the taller teenager and pushed those unwanted thoughts away, while he merely gave her yet another one of his patented and condescending smirks.

" _Heh_ . . . like running into you, twice now - Something that has _not_ been pleasurable, I might add - is grounds for constituting it as ' _stalking_ ,'" he responded, folding his bare arms across his shoulders and rolling his eyes in dismissal. "And anyway, I happen to _live_ around here, or is that not all right with you, _Piggy Tails?"_

" _Ugh!_ I've told you the _last_ time I _sadly_ saw you _not_ to call me 'Piggy Tails!' It's not my name - _Elyon_ is!" Elyon revealed within the midst of her mounting ire, beginning to unconsciously hold onto the now vigilantly silent Csilla a bit too tightly in the process. "And if I had _my_ way, you wouldn't even live on the same _planet_ , let alone the same _state_ as me, you _jerk!"_

The tall, older brunet suddenly, as well as lightly chuckled at this, which caused Elyon to blush in embarrassed surprise and upset.

"' _Elyon?_ ' What kind of name is _that?_ You're better off going by 'Piggy Tails,' _seriously_ ," he taunted with another leer, unfolding his arms to then stuff his hands into the pockets of his beige colored cargo shorts. "Oh, and _my_ name's not ' _jerk_ ,' thanks - It's _Caleb_. Maybe you should try learning a few _manners_ , huh? Show a little bit more respect for your elders, and the like."

Elyon, about having nearly reached her breaking point, practically screamed at the top of her lungs, as she began to watch the boy now known as Caleb walk away from her without another word.

"Maybe _you_ should try getting a _life!"_ she bellowed, Csilla cringing in abashment, in addition to the amplified voice of her charge, as several passersby looked on within perplexity. " _Ohhh!_ I can't stand that freaking kid, Csilla! And, how _wonderful_ for me that I now know his _disgusting_ name!"

". . . . Y-Yeah . . . so I've gathered. _So_ much so, that you've nearly cut off my _circulation,_ by the way you were holding onto me so tightly," the slate gray feline weakly mumbled, before clearing her throat. "In _any_ event, let's just forget about that character, and head on over to the dance school to investigate, all right?"

Elyon slowly nodded, already beginning to calm down, especially now that she could no longer see the obnoxious Caleb within the distance, and promptly loosened her grip upon her furry friend.

"O-Oh, sorry about that, Csilla. It's like I said, though! That guy just - _Never mind!_ You're right . . . I came here to return something to someone, and you had to check out the school, so let's just get on with it, already . . . although, I highly doubt that there's really anything wrong, or else the authorities would have probably shut it down by now. . . ."

"Perhaps; however, let's just go there and examine it to be certain," Csilla partially agreed with a nod, before the two carried on further up the hill and towards their nearby destination.

In the furthered distance, continually heading within the other direction, Caleb had then stopped walking, and sighed softly to himself with a frown.

' _Get a life,' she says. . . . If only I could even_ _remember_ _it,_ the brunet thought a bit broodingly to himself with a frown, within the middle of the sidewalk where he'd stopped as random people continued to pass around him. _But that's what finding the Star of Threbe is all about . . . so that maybe one day I actually_ _can_ _. . . ._

* * *

_"_ Hm, hm, hm . . . good work, my loyal monster slave. You've succeeded in collecting yet another surplus of prime life energy for our master! Such otherwise _useless_ creatures, humans, the way they expel so much wasted time and energy upon something as imprudent as _dancing!_ I _knew_ it would be a good idea to have you possess the body of this _foolish_ instructor, in order to personally target her students! Ha, ha _ha!"_ Nigel, or rather, now, _Deite_ , cruelly cackled at the expense of the numerous, fallen female victims littered about the wooden floor of _Madame Isadora Daskalov's School of Dance._

He had just happened upon the scene not but a few moments before, and was pleased to see that his recently deployed Entity had already done its job, so far turning out to be a lot more sufficient than his _first_ creature had been several days ago.

The one which had been defeated by that sailor suited girl . . . _Sailormeridian_.

Deite tightly clenched his gloved hands in anger at the thought, now returned to his normal, maroon uniformed guise.

" _Sailormeridian_. . . . There is _no_ way you'll interfere with my plans _this_ time! _Especially_ since you'll honestly be unable to find these precious, new victims, once I've sent them off to join the rest!" he began to grin slowly in mounting triumph, dropping the both of his fists thereafter. "And with that quick glamour I had put upon the local authorities, there continues to be no one else to stop me! Now! _You!_ Hurry up and open the rift, so that we can send these lovely ladies off to their collected and sacrificial _doom!_ "

Deite turned his attention onto the only female still conscious within the room, a relatively tall and very slender young auburn haired woman, who appeared to be within her early thirties or so. He watched as the black leotard-clad beauty nodded in compliance and with a devilish grin, before she silently waved her arm into the air and inexplicably caused a wavy and grayish portal of sorts to appear behind her, and through the series of full bodied mirrors aligned along the wall that were used during class.

As the mindless, possessed woman began to send each of "her" currently unconscious students through, in order to begin siphoning out their life energy in just a little while, Deite then turned and moved towards a slumbering girl in the far corner.

He smiled with delicious, malice delight as he crouched down before her still body, and tauntingly stroked her medium length, French braided dark hair.

"How really beautiful you are, indeed, my lovely. . . . And you'll be beautiful still, after you've served your purpose and given up your particularly _immense_ energy to my master," Deite murmured darkly to the unmoving, mocha skinned girl.

Suddenly, without warning, a new voice rang out into the atmosphere, admittedly catching both the redhead and his possessed pawn in the process.

" _Meridian Eternity Power, Make Up!"_ the pair both heard the female, disembodied voice cry out, before a bright flash of periwinkle overwhelmed the outside of the dance room and partially bathed its inside. Within moments, however, the light had died away, and Deite growled angrily before rising to his feet.

He already knew who it could be.

" _Damn_ it! _You!_ Hurry it _up_ , already, while I stall this _sailor-annoyance_ , before -" he began, looking at the momentarily stunned and perplexed monster-in-disguise, who had stopped within her efforts to spirit the helpless females away, before he'd been abruptly interrupted by the door sharply swinging opening.

" _Hold_ it right there! I know that you're really some kind of _creature_ , obviously possessing this innocent woman! _And_ I know that you're the one behind all of the disappearances going on here lately! Well, _no_ more, because I, Sailormerdian, am here to stop you - _And_ t-that really strange portal-thing - in the name of _justice!"_ Deite listened to his unfortunate, newfound foe, Sailormeridian, cry out in animated harshness towards his minion.

He couldn't help but smirk at both her slight over theatrics, and the fact that she apparently had yet to notice his presence.

_Hmm . . . looks like I've got the perfect opportunity to strike, then_ , the redhead thought with malevolence, immediately descending onto the unconscious girl he'd only recently found out to be named Taranee.

"So! It looks as though you've finally come, after all, Sailormeridian! How _considerate_ of you!" Deite boomed at the periwinkle, powder blue and lavender color schemed and sailor suited blonde, who immediately whirled around in abundant alarm.

" _Ahh!_ W-Where did _he_ come from? Who _are_ you?" Sailormeridian squeaked, looking from the taken over Madame Isadora, to the unknown, uniformed young man and then back again.

It was then that she'd executed a prompt double take, her soft blue eyes widening in both fear and surprise, as she instantly recognized the young girl the redhead now held firmly within his arms like a hostage.

" _T-Taranee!_ No!" the dishwater blonde heroine cried out, immediately taking a step towards the now partially conscious girl.

Deite swiftly tightened the hold he had around his captive's slender neck with one arm, while waving his finger at Sailormeridian with the other.

"Nuh, uh, uh! _Not_ so fast, my friend! At least, not unless you'd prefer to see the girl without her pretty little _head_ , anyway!" he said with an evil sneer, gripping onto Taranee's neck a bit more tightly, causing her to arouse more steadily and lightly gasp in pain.

"Be _careful_ , Sailormeridian!" Csilla, who had just then appeared into the room and stood beside her charge with fur standing fiercely on end yet again, cautiously advised. She then immediately felt a strange vibration coursing through her, especially the moment the knowledgeable feline's eyes landed upon the mahogany tinted, imprisoned girl.

_What is this I'm feeling? Could . . . could this mean . . . that_ _this_ _girl is the next Guardian Soldier I've been searching for?_ Csilla pondered silently in surprise, while the mystical feelings inside of her continued to pulsate, as though in reply. _She_ _has_ _to be!_

Meanwhile, Sailormeridian felt increasingly torn and helpless as to what to do next. If she tried anything rash, Taranee would get severely hurt. However, if she didn't and just continued to stand there, then chances were quite strong _and_ probable that the girl would be injured, regardless . . . including possibly herself.

". . . . Let Taranee _go!_ " the blonde pleaded, knowing her request would fall upon deaf ears, however still bothered to try.

_. . . . T-That voice . . . sounds familiar. . . ._ Taranee pondered weakly to herself in silence, gasping repeatedly for breath as her brown eyes squeezed shut in ongoing affliction. _I-I have to . . . break . . . free!_

"Sure, thing, Sailor-Girl! I'll let your little buddy go - In a _body bag!"_ Deite remarked boisterously, pulling the helpless, raven haired girl to himself more tightly. "Now, _attack_ , you useless Entity! _Kill_ he - _Ahh!"_

"W-What's happening to Taranee, Csilla?" Sailormeridian sharply gasped in alarm, as every currently conscious being, friend and foe alike, stared in avid awe and wonder at the peculiar sight unfolding within the dance room.

Suddenly and without warning, Taranee's captive body began to profusely glow a dark red, and a curious, circle and pointed arrow symbol of the same color appeared within the middle of her forehead.

Csilla softly smiled knowingly and sighed in relief, as both she and Sailormeridian watched Deite immediately let the dark haired girl go in apparent pain.

". . . . I _knew_ it. The power of the Guardian Soldier is awakening within her. . . . _Sailormars_ ," she revealed breathlessly, at the same time that she closed her green eyes and began to concentrate. Suddenly, the emerald, seven-pointed star continually adorning her furry forehead began to illuminate a fierce, red aura, much like the one surrounding Taranee's slim form.

The slightly and mysteriously injured Deite, meanwhile, was no fool, as while he did not completely understand what was currently transpiring, he was fully aware that it most certainly was not anything good within his favor. And so, before Sailormeridian or even Csilla, if she could have, stopped him, he immediately vanished from sight within his usual, maroon colored mist.

Only his rather angered voice lingered within the area, as he spoke to the malevolently influenced Madame Isadora, who had admittedly been simply standing around like some sort of simpleton up to that point.

"It isn't over yet! _You!_ Get _going!_ Bring the rest of those girls through the portal and then _close_ it, before it's too late!"

Deite's thrall swiftly nodded in compliance, and she began to double her efforts to finish magically transferring each unconscious victim through the swirling rift behind her.

At this, Sailormeridian immediately turned around and surprisingly charged towards the older woman without prompt.

"Oh, no you don't! I won't let you!" she cried, taking a hasty swing towards Madame Isadora and effortlessly missed, before then swiftly receiving a sharp blow to her abdomen in the process, which caused her to fall backward. " _Ugh_. . . ."

Meanwhile, at the same instant, a small ball of red light abruptly shot from out of Csilla's still glowing forehead, before sailing straight towards the aura bathed Taranee, who then seemed to instinctively reopen her eyes at that moment.

"There! _Take_ that, Taranee, and shout out these words, precisely: 'Mars Power, Make Up!' I will explain everything to you later, but for now, there isn't a _moment_ to waste!" the bluish gray, curiously talking cat cried out to the beautiful intellect hurriedly, before rushing over to the strange sailor suited blonde currently hunched over in the near distance.

Taranee could not understand a thing that was happening, feeling that her body and mind had yet to catch up with the overabundance of shock she _should_ have felt, upon witnessing an actual, talking cat. However, for whatever reason, she sort of felt compelled to comply with the animal, as she slowly gazed down at the mysteriously floating and silver banned ring before her.

It looked so beautiful and priceless, almost _mesmerizing_ to behold . . . particularly the dark red jewel within its center, that almost looked to be curiously aflame, and carried the arrow and circled symbol her habitual studies and natural intellect granted her the knowledge of recognizing to be that of the planet Mars.

Time seemed to slow down to a near standstill for the onyx haired girl, whose body had gradually ceased within its glowing; however, the similar sigil, which unknowingly perched itself upon her forehead, continued to remain aglow.

She watched in growing alarm as a battle began to unfold before her, between the unfamiliar, sailor-clad young woman, and . . . _Madame Isadora?_

Why was her own dance teacher attacking that girl, or _anyone_ for that matter?

_. . . . That's right . . . she'd attacked_ _me_ _, too, proving my weird feelings about this area to have been true, after all,_ Taranee lazily thought in recollection, before her mind promptly jumpstarted itself again. _I've got to do something to help!_

And so, without another thought or hesitation, the sagacious young teenager swiftly grabbed a hold of the previously hovering and glowing ring, before putting it around the ring finger of her right hand, and rose to her feet.

" _Mars Power, Make Up!"_

An eruption of fire magically abruptly manifested and formed a large, thick pillar, before effortlessly engulfing the now naked girl as she immediately closed her eyes. Arms raised directly above her head, a pair of white, elbow length gloves with a dark red band suddenly appeared over her hands within an encircling flurry of flames. And on one of the gloves, the back palm of her right was the maroon colored, sigil sign of Mars.

Taranee's previously medium length and braided black hair abruptly began to unravel itself and become free, while a swirl of softly scented red rose petals miraculously, momentarily appeared and surrounded it, before mystically growing much longer in length and until at last settling at just slightly past her buttocks.

Gently pushing back a few strands of her now cascading, dark locks, Taranee blindly smiled a bit knowingly, as a plain, dark red choker suddenly materialized around her slim neck, in the same instant that a pair of dangling and star shaped earrings of the same color appeared upon her previously bare ears.

Part of the flames which continually kept her encased, however miraculously unharmed, suddenly began to wrap itself around her naked torso and waist, before a bright flash of reddish light manifested itself . . . and in its wake, an Indian red tinted body suit appeared and snugly clothed her slender body, alongside a two tiered, multicolored skirt, with the top being dark red and the bottom half reflecting a deep lavender hue.

Several, thin wisps of fire had then snaked around Taranee's front and back, magically changing into thin ribbons of the same darkened lavender as the bottom part of her skirt, in the front of her uniform and against her chest before fashioning into an equally thin bow . . . while two, much thicker and longer red, as well as puce colored ribbons trailed against her backside and formed its own, larger bow just above the skirt.

Once again, the reddened symbol of Mars then appeared, and this time adorned the center of Taranee's front, thinner bow, which seemed to possess a life of its own, the way it brightly gleamed within the illumination of the ongoing flames.

Lastly, a pair of white and slender, knee high boots, with a puce hued band in the shape of an upside down v, had then appeared within a splash of bright light . . . before a golden tiara, again with the dark red sigil of the planet Mars, decorating its center, and the large pillar of fire (much like her eyeglasses, in that exact moment) at last instantly vanished, without a trace.

"No, _way_ . . . Taranee really _is_ another Guardian Solider, like _me!_ " Sailormeridian gushed in awe after having stopped to witness the other girl's enchanted transformation.

The newly transformed Sailormars, as though within a trance of sorts, already began to immediately concentrate, focusing her recharged energy into forming an innate attack without missing a beat.

Csilla, meanwhile, nodded swiftly in agreement with her original charge, while still keeping her attention onto the focusing soldier in the near distance.

". . . . Indeed, she is! Now, _hurry!_ Strike now and separate the Entity from Madame Isadora, Sailormeridian!" she instructed, moving out of the way, as the blonde slowly stood and began to do as she was told.

Momentarily concentrating and closing her blue eyes briefly, Sailormerdian suddenly felt her chest growing warm, before something hard mystically came out of it within a flash of white light. Reopening her eyes, she instinctively seized the light blue colored wand, with its shimmering and crystal star upon the top, and aimed it toward the possessed older woman.

" _Meridian Healing Escalation!"_ Sailormeridian cried out innately, before an explosion of mystical, gold colored mist emanated from the outstretched wand, and immediately swarmed around the now stunned Madame Isadora.

She let out a bone chilling screech, raising both of her arms up in futile defense, before promptly collapsing to the ground in unconsciousness . . . and a snake haired, green skinned and red eyed demon suddenly appeared in her place.

Sailormeridian promptly screamed within alarmed trepidation at the horrific sight once the powerful mist had dissipated, her stomach becoming knotted up as she blindly backed away and held onto her newfound wand tightly.

Meanwhile, at that exact moment, formerly closed brown eyes immediately snapped open, as the momentarily forgotten Sailormars suddenly called out from behind the blonde.

". . . . _Fire Soul!"_ the red schemed Guardian Solider shouted instinctively, violently thrusting her gloved, now curiously ignited palms (which did not seem to be injuring her in any sort of manner) out towards the devilish and menacing foe before her.

A stream of fire furiously jetted through the air, until it made abrupt impact with its intended and unfortunate target, instantly setting its entire body on fire.

" _Rarrrgggh!"_ the almost female resembling monster screamed at the top of its lungs within undeniable agony, dropping to its knees like a piece of deadweight, before immediately withering away into an unrecognizable, charcoaled heap which then promptly vanished.

Within a near simultaneous instant, the shimmering, wavy portal had then swiftly closed within a bright flash of light, and the dance floor miraculously became littered with more female and unconscious newcomers in its wake.

Both Sailormeridian and Csilla gasped in surprise as well as delight at the sight, happy to see the previously missing dance students were apparently now all returned and seemingly unharmed, if only still asleep.

"Th . . . that was _amazing!_ Thanks so _much_ , Taranee . . . or should I say ' _Sailormars!_ '" Sailormeridian exclaimed in mixed relief and appreciation, turning to walk over to the now slightly dazed girl.

Sailormars gazed at the unknown blonde in perplexity for a few moments, slowly lowering her now calmed hands before responding.

"Sailor . . . mars? Is that . . . _me?"_ she inquired softly, beginning to blush as she examined her newly changed look and attire more properly within the full length mirrors before her, now that the danger had at last passed.

"That's right, Mars, it is. . . . You are the chosen Guardian Soldier of Fiery Passion and Wisdom," Csilla lightly explained, walking over to the understandably confused girl a bit tentatively. "Now, let us hurry and leave, before these ladies all wake up."

Sailormars lightly shook her head, peering down at the talking cat within returning surprise, before turning her attention onto Sailormeridian.

". . . . I don't . . . understand _any_ of what's been going on here, but . . . I feel as though I can honestly trust you, somehow," she said in soft shyness, blushing a bit harder once the other girl then smiled broadly at her. "Oh . . . b-but, wait. How do you know my name?"

Sailormerdian simply gave an elongated and deep exhale at this, affectionately wrapping an arm around the taller girl's shoulders, as she began to swiftly lead the way out of the room full of gradually arousing, and now safe young women.

"Boy, have _we_ got a long story to share with _you_. . . ." she responded with a knowing and sympathetic grin, feeling more and more relieved that she was no longer alone within her fight as a Guardian Soldier.

_If I have to keep doing this, at least I now have someone to be there with me within the thick of it. . . . My very first comrade . . . Sailormars,_ the dishwater blonde Guardian reflected silently to herself, as the three females quickly left the premises.

**\- End of Act 2**


	4. ℓ Act 3 ℓ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--------
> 
> This chapter was created/written in May 2009.
> 
> \--------

Another week had come and gone, with a brand new one already nearly finished. It was a mid Wednesday evening, with everyone within the Brown household settled within their individual, chosen areas before retiring for bed.

As per usual, both Mr. and Mrs. Brown were curled together upon the loveseat, watching their usual primetime programming scheduled for that particular weekday with much enthusiasm, while conducting relative, although still friendly debates over the various fictional characters flashing across the screen.

The way the couple continued to carry on, so peacefully and obviously in love and happy, it was at times hard to fathom, even to the family's newfound feline pet, that their only child and formerly just as carefree daughter was now enthralled within frequent battles with dangerous foes, who would wish to disrupt that very same peacefulness.

The peacefulness of _all_ those living upon the earth, at that.

Csilla gave a small, fatigued yawn as she quietly left the family room where Elyon's parents were continually nestled together, and lazily made her way towards the girl's bedroom. Although ever vigilant for any sort of up rise within malevolent activity, as well as continuing to locate both the remaining Guardian Soldiers and their lost princess, it was nice to be able to lounge about for a change.

After all, even Csilla needed her rest, and to mayhap catch up on a few lost catnaps.

And she was absolutely certain that Elyon was most likely thinking along the same lines, as it had been yet another week or so since their last encounter with an Entity, and their newfound foe apparently behind deploying them all, Deite.

_I am quite positive both he and the rest of his Entities shall return, and soon, with a fierce vengeance . . . but at least now, Elyon has help in Taranee Cook . . . Sailormars_ , the furry feline thought to herself in growing confidence and self reassurance, as she crept silently down the wooden hallway. _I can only hope that we will be able to find the other Guardians soon. . . ._

"' _Starlit destinny! This time I won't be denied! Starlit destinny! Boy, one day you will be mine!'"_ Csilla could hear Elyon belting out in song and into the closed atmosphere of her bedroom, as the female animal softly used one of her tiny paws to push open the partially sealed door.

" _Oh_ , yeah . . . not a care in the world, this one has," Csilla murmured softly in exasperation, pointed ears arching sharply back at the dual sounds of loud, fairly familiar music and singing. She gazed up at the unsuspected blonde's back, who continued on within singing along to one of her favorite Cornelia Hale tracks, and bounced gaily about the bedroom while facing one of her poster walls of the singer in question.

Csilla couldn't help but smile at the ongoing spectacle just then, finding that she rather preferred a more happier Elyon, than an overly worried or moody one in contrast . . . especially now that the girl's two week punishment had recently drawn to a close, and she was now allowed to resume hanging out with her friends at their usual spots like before.

_Of course, it also didn't hurt for Elyon to have told her folks the lie that she had found a tutor within Taranee, or that they actually knew all about the girl's prestigious genius, as well_ , the blue-gray cat thought in reflection to several days ago, when the Browns' daughter had happily told them all about having met one of Vesta's Academy for Girls' top students. _Now, let's see if Taranee really_ _won't_ _help Elyon out with her studies, after all, or else the girl will be_ _grounded_ _for most of the school year. . . ._

Suddenly, Csilla felt herself jump in disquiet, as her thoughts had effortlessly gotten torn through by the abrupt cry emitting through the room.

" _Ack!_ Csilla! You can't just sneak up on people like that - _Especially_ while they happen to be singing, rather _candidly_ , at that!" Elyon cried at her guardian, upon whirling around to unexpectedly look upon her, before immediately rushing toward her newly returned CD player to turn it off, mid-song. She then turned back around to face the now softly chuckling feline, and blushed furiously in further abashment. "Try _knocking_ or something next time, eh?"

"O-Oh, I-I'm sorry, E-Elyon . . . but I w-wasn't aware that your blatantly _loud_ singing _wasn't_ an invitation for others to easily hear you," Csilla responded amidst uncontrolled giggles, before calming down and moving towards the still mortified and now grumpy teenager. She affectionately rubbed against Elyon's bare right shin and ankle and softly began to purr in apology. "Oh, come on now, Elyon - I was only teasing. I'm actually _pleased_ to see you in such high spirits again . . . it certainly makes you far less difficult to hang around with during the day, or sleep with during the evening, anyway. . . ."

Despite the continued jeers, however playful, at the blonde's expense, Elyon did not retaliate verbally or physically, and merely smiled softly as she bent over to scoop up the suddenly affectionate feline, her previous upset now effortlessly fading away.

She had to admit that, despite her seemingly incessant and sometimes unwanted bossy attitude, Elyon found herself growing increasingly attached to the talking animal, and it seemed to be quite mutual . . . although neither party would ever admit to it outright.

At least, for now, anyway.

Elyon carried the continually purring, enchanted cat over to the blonde's traditionally unkempt bed, and carefully plopped herself onto it.

"Yeah, yeah, _yeah_ , Csilla. . . . But, you know . . . I don't really know why, but I've just been feeling really positive lately. I mean, it _could_ probably just be because I'm finally free from my monstrously bogus punishment and have all of my electronics back inside of the room now," she began with a thoughtful smile, looking down at her guardian, whose eyes immediately closed as Elyon began to scratch underneath her furry chin. "Or . . . I dunno. I guess it's also or _mainly_ because we've found one of my teammates . . . Taranee Cook. I haven't seen or gotten to talk to her again since our first battle together, thanks to being so busy with school and still being grounded at the time . . . but she really _does_ seem so nice and sweet! Right, Csilla?"

Csilla slowly cracked open her green eyes upon hearing her name, and lightly nodded in agreement, as Elyon then turned her attention onto the cat's head and began stroking it slowly.

"Mmhm . . . I agree, Elyon. . . . I, myself, have not been so lucky to catch Taranee since that day, either, as she's never been alone for very long at either her school or home when I'd go visit. I'd dare say that she's a rather busy girl - Something _you_ could take a page from, hmm?" she replied in former relaxation, before promptly being gently thrown off of her charge's lap and onto the bed at her side.

"There goes that _negativity_ , again. You don't know when to _quit_ , do you? I'll have you know that I'm _plenty_ busy now, thanks to you and turning me into a crime fighting _sideshow!_ And, before _you'd_ come along, I had every intention of joining the art club at my school, as I love to draw and have been told by _many_ people who've seen my art that I'm really good," Elyon revealed with a deep scowl, blindly gesturing towards her bookshelf in the near distance, which housed various leisurely books and schoolbooks, in addition to several old and new sketchbooks. "But, of course, _you_ wouldn't know about that, as you're always too busy putting me _down!_ "

Csilla lightly gasped at this, and then softly pouted in effect, before gently resting a paw upon the obviously hurt girl's thigh.

". . . . I'm sorry, Elyon - _Really_. I will try not to say such things any longer, all right? I only have at all, because I wish for you to be the very best you can be, the way your parents do for you, as well," she apologized a bit awkwardly, although her emerald colored eyes shown with fierce loyalty and kindness.

Elyon, surprised by this, peered down at the female cat with slightly widened eyes.

". . . . Yeah? Because . . . because you only want me to be the 'very best' Guardian Soldier I can be for you, though, right?" she asked with skepticism laced within her soft voice, watching as Csilla swiftly shook her head.

"Not at all. I know you think that I'm purely obsessed or concerned with our mission, of finding the remaining Guardians, our missing princess, and the mystical Star of Threbe, in order properly fight and destroy the growing evil forces who have set their sights upon the earth . . . and while that is still very important a task, I do still wish for your _happiness_ , as well, Elyon. Yours, _and_ Taranee's," she said with a growing smile, before leaning forward to lightly lick the girl's bare arm in further apology. "After all, it isn't everyday that one is saddled with such a monumental responsibility and destiny as this - _Especially_ not young teenagers. I understand all too well how unfair this has been to ask this of you . . . but it was something simply unable to be avoided. . . . Still, as a small way to make up for it, I actually have a surprise for you girls, that I'd like to show you tomorrow once you've finished school. . . ."

Elyon instantly perked up, her briefly returned sourness now evaporated.

"Really? Like what? What is it? _Wait_ a sec! How can a tiny kitty plan _any_ sort of surprise, anyway? Unless it's more battles with those creepy Entities. . . . Never mind! Just _tell_ me!" she pressed excitedly, picking up Csilla once more and held her above her blonde head as she gazed up at her. "But, wait. You said a surprise for me _and_ Taranee, right? How will she know to meet us tomorrow, when you said you haven't been able to get in touch with her much since our battle together?"

"She will, because I was luckily able to contact her earlier today while you went out for ice cream with your friend, Alchemy. I'd remembered that she would most likely be at her dance lessons - Although they seemed as though they had been canceled - so I'd simply waited for her there and let her know. Poor girl - Still only just getting used to encountering a talking cat," Csilla explained with a soft exhale in reflective sympathy, before Elyon replaced her back onto the bed.

"Well, of _course!_ One, it's just plain _unnatural_ , and two, you said it, yourself, that neither of us have had much time to talk to her, sit her down and fully explain everything that's going on. We'd only managed to give her the highlights version after our fight together, before her ride showed up," Elyon remarked with a small nod, rolling onto her side to face the pondering feline. "But, at least we can take tomorrow as an opportunity to take care of that . . . and _I_ can take it as an opportunity to get to know her better, and let her know how much I really appreciate and am glad she's now a part of the team. Ooh, I can't _wait_ until tomorrow now, Csilla! I'm gonna turn in right now!"

Csilla gasped in utter surprise at this, blinking furiously with widened eyes, as she watched her usually-late-to-fall-asleep charge roll over onto her other side and covered up, before reaching out to turn off the lights and then promptly closed her eyes to sleep.

_Wow . . . maybe I should plan surprises for her more often, then_ , she thought in bemusement, softly creeping down towards Elyon's covered feet and curled up next to them before dozing off, herself.

* * *

"Aww, man, I'm gonna be late - _Again!_ How can that even be _possible_ , when I'd gone to sleep _far_ earlier than usual last night?" Elyon squealed in exasperation to herself, nearly stepping on Csilla, as the pair dashed down the otherwise empty hallway together the next morning. "I can't believe you hadn't managed to wake me up, yourself, Csilla, as you usually do! It actually could've been a big help, this time!"

Even Csilla, despite having retired at nearly the same time as her charge, had managed to awaken a tad later than usual, and so was in no position to chastise the now frantic, pigtailed girl. She had her own concerns to focus on for that day, and had to rush out of the house as swiftly as she could in order to finalize the last minute preparations of the surprise she had planned for her two, currently found Guardian Soldiers.

"Running late again, I see, young lady? You're lucky that your father isn't home to witness this," Elyon suddenly heard her mother unexpectedly call out to her at her left, upon entering the kitchen the girl expected to be empty, as per usual around that time of the day.

Elyon nearly jumped right out of her skin, before skidding to an abrupt halt and turning to face the older woman, who sat, rather comfortably, it seemed, at the kitchen table with a steaming cup of creamed coffee placed before her.

She was still dressed within her pink, silk nightgown, with a robe draped around it, and her medium length, auburn colored hair was partially undone from the loose bun she had tied it within the previous evening before bed. In her hands was an open newspaper, which she leisurely perused through up until that moment, before slowly lowering it to gaze upon her surprised daughter more properly.

"What? Didn't expect to see your dear, ol' mother here, now did you?" Mrs. Brown queried with a small smirk, before picking up her warm cup and took a slow, but generous sip of her French vanilla flavored coffee.

Elyon promptly shook her blonde, always-messy head.

"Well, _no_ , actually. Aren't you supposed to be at work right now, Mom? And, _h-hey!_ If you were here the whole time, why didn't you wake me up?" she asked with a light frown, moving towards the refrigerator to get a quick glass of orange juice as her only form of breakfast that day.

Mrs. Brown merely gave a soft sigh at this, and lightly chuckled.

"And aren't _you_ supposed to be in _school_ right now, missy? I _did_ try to wake you up - _Three_ times, in fact, but, as _usual_ , you didn't heed my calls. You're lucky it isn't _super_ late right now in all honesty, or else you'd be in trouble with your teachers - _and_ your father, for sure," she retorted with a knowing smile, watching her daughter lightly cringe in front of the open fridge. "And as for your ever curious wonder, my child, your mother decided to take a day off from work, today, as she's been working _way_ too hard, lately. Besides! Just _look_ at it out there! _Far_ too beautiful to spend cooked up inside, as always!"

Elyon couldn't help but giggle, herself, upon hearing this, turning away from the refrigerator and setting down the carton of orange juice onto the kitchen island before her.

"Talk about setting a good example for your kid, there, Mother. What, pray tell, shall it cost you to keep my mouth shut to dear ol' Dad about you playing _hooky?"_ she playfully threatened, moving over to the cabinets to retrieve a clean glass to pour her beverage into.

"About the same that it shall cost _you_ for _me_ to keep _my_ mouth closed about your waking up _late_ again, and _so_ close to your having newly been released from your grounding punishment, too . . . hmm, what a shame," Elyon's mother countered with a mockingly thoughtful air after setting down her coffee cup back onto the kitchen table. "And anyway, _I'm_ a grown woman; I can and _will_ do as I please, without anyone to answer to - _Especially_ not your father. Besides that, he already knows."

Elyon rolled her eyes as she poured a generous amount of orange juice into her crystal clear glass, before turning around to return the carton to the refrigerator.

"Okay, okay, truce. Anyway, if it's so beautiful outside - Which it is and as usual, really, yes - then why are you still in your jammies, and not out there, enjoying it?" she inquired of her mother after taking a large swig of her citrusy drink, moving around the island and towards the table where the older woman continued to sit.

"Because I'm too busy enjoying this cup of _coffee_ of mine, while reading the newspaper, my sweet," Mrs. Brown replied with a grin, turning the page of the article she'd been gazing upon as though on cue. "In fact, I've just finished reading something I think may interest _you_ , 'O Teenager-Who-Avoids-Any-Sort-of-Current-Events-Which-Isn't –About-Her-Beloved-Cornelia-Hale-Like-the-Plague.'"

Elyon grunted into her orange juice as her only reply, as she took another sip and continued to stand next to her mother, expectantly now. Just then Csilla, who had been temporarily forgotten by the blonde within her haste to finish getting ready for school, had suddenly reappeared, as she'd jumped expertly onto the table and sat next to Mrs. Brown's newspaper.

Rather than be upset that the family's new pet had just then helped herself by settling upon a place where they frequently rest food and eat upon, Mrs. Brown merely chuckled softly at the sight, and gently stroked the furry animal in greeting.

"O-Oh, good morning, little Csilla! Apparently _you'd_ like to listen to the news, too?" she asked the tiny cat without expecting an answer (even though it honestly could have given one, unbeknownst to her), before picking it up from off of the table and placed her upon her lap and continued to pet it. "No table jumping for the kitty, though! Anyway, apparently the princess of Marsily, Princess Étaín, is coming here, to our very own Heatherfield, to present her royal mystical treasure to the public for the very first time! It's to be televised and everything! Isn't that _exciting?"_

Csilla's green eyes narrowed and her tiny ears perked up and lightly twitched upon hearing this, as she continued to sit upon Mrs. Brown's lap. Her mind already began to swirl with newfound thoughts in regard to hers and Elyon's secret mission, wondering whether or not this particular princess and her apparent treasure could be what and whom the fluffy cat had been continually searching for.

_Regardless, I plan on finding out exactly that_ , Csilla thought in silent, determined resolve, lightly nodding to herself as she began reading the article about the Princess of Marsily for herself, while Elyon, meanwhile, abruptly scoffed.

"Wait a second. Why would this princess choose _Heatherfield_ \- Choose _Florida_ , of all places, to present such an apparently prestigious and prized treasure for the first time, for?" she wondered aloud, finishing the rest of her orange juice and setting down the empty glass onto the kitchen table.

Mrs. Brown lightly sighed at this, it being her own turn to roll her eyes.

"I'm beginning to wonder where our taxpaying dollars are going, if my daughter, whom I _know_ is smart - Albeit a tad _lazy_ and absentminded, at best - doesn't even know something as obvious as that," she remarked with another exhale, before reaching out for her half empty coffee cup. "I've always known that both history and geography hasn't _exactly_ been your strong suit, just as it never had been _mine_ , admittedly, but you could have at _least_ paid better attention when your teachers had undoubtedly taught you children about the various countries America is allied with! And before you ask, _yes_ , Marsily is obviously one of them, and they are with whom the U.S. does a lot of trading with - _Particularly_ exports of Florida's orange produce. So, it is no wonder why the Princess would have chosen this state - Most likely at her family's coaxing, I'm sure - as the site for the premiere unveiling of her treasure."

Elyon merely nodded slowly in growing understanding, before readjusting the book bag which had been upon her yellow tank topped back the entire time.

"Hmm. . . . So, then, why did you say this would be interesting to me, Mom?" she asked with a growing simper, especially after her mother had playfully hit her on the arm.

"Ya know, it's too bad that my daughter isn't a princess like the Queen's is, because then I wouldn't have to deal with such _insubordination_ ," Mrs. Brown remarked with a light guffaw, before finishing the rest of her coffee and stood from the table with Csilla now carefully within her arms. "I'd said that it would interest you, because it says here, that in addition to presenting her royal treasure and having it televised when the time comes, Princess Étaín is holding a grand ball in its honor and celebration. And it's all happening _this_ weekend, at the royal embassy over on Mara-Roice Avenue!"

At this, Elyon's periwinkle colored eyes lit up and she gasped sharply, as she jumped up and down in her place.

"Oooh, no _way!_ A ball? Like, a real life, _royal_ ball? And right _here_ , in Heatherfield! This is _the_ biggest thing to happen to this sleepy old city since . . . well, I can't _remember!_ Ohhh, I _wish_ I could go somehow! Is it open to the public?" she asked her mother, who smiled warmly back at her, as she had been expecting such a reaction from her daughter upon learning of the ball.

Being her mother, Mrs. Brown was naturally privy to a lot of interests her only child held, including having always held a rather curious and inexplicable fascination, ever since she was little, with grand balls and other such venues of that nature.

"Yes, it is, honey, but only by invitation. That is, we 'common folk' _can_ attend the Princess's ball, but unless we either somehow know her personally, are affiliated with her in some way and are sort of important, ourselves, _or_ are with the press, I'm afraid we couldn't get in even if we'd tried _bribing_ someone. . . ."

Elyon pouted, and exhaled heavily.

"Well . . . at least I can see what her treasure will look like on the TV, as a small consolation," she murmured, more so to herself, in reassurance, before gazing down at her wristwatch to look at the time. She gasped sharply. "Ahh! _Mom!_ What'd you have to go and start gabbing away with me, for? _Especially_ about a real life princess ball I can't even go to? I'd better hightail it out of here right now, or else I'll _definitely_ be late, for sure! See you later!"

Mrs. Brown merely chuckled after her daughter as her only reply, as she watched the dishwater blonde retreat from the kitchen and scurry out the nearby front door. Just then, Csilla softly mewed up at the older woman, before lightly beginning to wriggle around within her protective arms.

"Huh? Oh, would you like to be put down, Csilla? Probably to follow after Elyon again, hmm? I swear, you've been attached to that girl's _hip_ ever since she'd adopted you - How adorable," the auburn haired, married woman commented to the grayish blue, squirming cat, before bending over to release it from her arms. "There you go, now. Have fun, now, pretty kitty! _I'm_ off to take a shower!"

Mrs. Brown gave a quick pat and a wave goodbye to the fluffy animal, and briefly watched it scamper away and towards the open kitchen window to leave, as predicted, before she, herself, turned and left the kitchen to head into her master bedroom in order to begin her day.

* * *

"You _do_ realize that I am not at all pleased with your most recent failure, yes, Deite? Seems to be becoming a most recent and unfortunately common _trait_ of yours, wouldn't you say?"

Deite immediately cringed at the sound of his master's ever calm, yet icy tone, after he'd appeared before the older man at his beckoning. The redhead crouched, obedient and respectful, as always, before his master within his dark and dank throne room, and silently cursed himself repeatedly for his secondary failure, once again perpetrated by the ever irritating Sailormeridian.

_Damn her straight to hell . . . her,_ _and_ _that little bitch who'd somehow burned me . . ._ _Taranee_ , he thought bitterly, his gloved hands clenched tightly in mounting ire, as he kept his head bowed in ongoing, personal shame, in addition to respect towards his fair haired master. _I_ _will_ _get my revenge on them both . . . I don't care_ _what_ _I have to do to have it!_

". . . . and I have a right mind to simply do away with you, once and for all," Deite could hear his ruler continue on within his lilting, yet fierce and reprimanding threats, breaking through his troubled thoughts in the process.

And just in time, too, it seemed, causing the crimson haired young man to promptly rise to his feet and begin pleading for his life.

" _N-No!_ T-That is, _please_ , my master! Please allow me the proper chance to prove my worth to you! I know I will _definitely_ find the Star of Threbe for you, yet!" Deite spoke hurriedly in nervousness, while his mind rapidly began thinking of ways to save his life. And then, he'd suddenly recalled something he'd recently come across prior to transporting himself to the older man's domain. "I-In _fact_ , I've just come across something which I believe may interest you _tremendously_ , master! Y-Yes! It seems that apparently some princess possesses a rather mystical treasure . . . one that she plans on unveiling to the masses within the coming days! P-Perhaps it could be the Star of Threbe we are searching for?"

Deite watched within relief as the fair haired man partially silhouetted before him gave a slight nod, light blue eyes now twinkling within intrigue while he continued to stand at his usual spot in front of one of the throne room's stained glass windows.

"Hmm . . . a princess and her mystical treasure, eh? . . . . Sounds promising," the soft blonde haired, vile man murmured in reflection, while steadily peering out of his window and into the vast darkness that his barren and broken, yet still very proud kingdom laid out before him. "Very well, then. Go forth, Deite, and seek out this so called 'mystical treasure' for me at once. Oh, and _do_ try not to fumble it up, as always, yes?"

Deite vigorously nodded in compliance, relieved to have been awarded another chance to redeem himself.

"O-Of course, master! As you wish!" he replied in continued loyalty to the older, ruthless man, before vanishing from sight within his usual, maroon colored and mist-like light.

"Hmm . . . it is _so_ hard to find good help these days. . . . No matter. I shall acquire the Star of Threbe, yet, and restore the Great Ally in order to fulfill my rightful destiny. . . . And no one, not even this Sailormeridian character, shall stop me," the tall, pale and long haired male said to himself hollowly, narrowing his unmoving eyes in determination, as he was now once again left alone with his never ending thoughts and plans for a better future . . . one filled with the dominion of his unopposed reign.

* * *

"Ah, _yes!_ School's out for the day, and I can _finally_ head over to the 'Musical Star Café' where Csilla said for me and Taranee to meet her! Oooh, I can't _wait_ to find out what the surprise is!" Elyon gushed to herself within excited whispers, as she hurriedly raced out of her high school's front entrance and towards the sidewalk.

"Hey, Ellie! Where's the fire?" Elyon suddenly heard Martin's undeniably familiar (and admittedly, sometimes bothersome) voice calling out to her from behind, causing her to stop abruptly within her tracks.

The young intellectual wore a broad, almost knowing smile across his traditionally pale face (despite the nearly constant sun exposure that their particular state awarded its citizens) as his friend turned around to properly face him, which admittedly caused Elyon to grow immediately suspicious in the process.

"Oh . . . hey, Martin. I've actually somewhere to be right now. Shouldn't you be off to your chess club meeting back inside, as well?" the dishwater blonde queried with a soft sigh, feeling a bit impatient to find out whatever it was her longtime friend and neighbor wanted. She didn't mean to feel that way, in all honesty; she simply wanted to hurry and find out whatever Csilla's planned surprise was even more, that's all.

Martin chuckled lightly at this and nodded.

"Mmhm! We're having it outside though, since it's an exceptionally nice day out today, ya know? And as vice president, I really _should_ hurry and head on back. But, I saw you in passing just now, and wanted to find out if you'd learned about Alchemy's once in a lifetime news!" he replied with an even larger grin, if that were at all possible, nearly bouncing within his place as slightly uncharacteristic giddiness began to overtake him.

Elyon raised an eyebrow at the sight, before reaching out to gently pat her friend upon his shoulders.

"There, there, now . . . _relax_ , Mr. Spaz! Wouldn't want to get another nosebleed like _last_ time, would you? Now, what's this all about Alkie and her supposed 'once in a lifetime news?' And how come _you_ know about it before _I_ do? Some best friend _she_ is!" she lightly fumed, beginning to pout as feelings of neglectfulness had overridden the previous bouts of anxiousness she'd been experiencing moments before.

"That's because I'd only _just_ found out, myself, last period, and _Marty_ , here, saw me at my locker, squealing about it after class. And apparently, he couldn't wait to tell _everyone_ we know about it, before _I_ even got a chance to - You'd think it was happening to _him_ , instead," both neighbors suddenly heard the girl in question remark from behind Martin, with an exasperated sigh as she approached.

Elyon lightly giggled at this, instantly feeling better again, while Martin lightly blushed in abashment before turning to face a smirking Alchemy, who now stood before the pair.

"E-Er . . . heh, heh! Sorry, Allie. It's just that stuff like this doesn't happen all the time, and to know someone it's actually happened to, I _guess_ , by extension, it sorta feels like it's now happening to me," Martin apologized with a sheepish simper, rubbing the back of his soft blonde colored head, and watching the russet haired girl roll her eyes.

Elyon rushed forward to her best friend and began lightly tugging at the sleeve of her purple colored t-shirt in mounting anxiousness.

"Okay, okay! All's forgiven and we love each other, again! Now _, spill!_ What's going on, already?" she asked excitedly, soft blue eyes twinkling in intrigue.

It was Alchemy's turn to giggle then, as she then let out a fierce squeal before jumping up and down in her place, taking Elyon with her.

" _Oooh_ , Elle! You will _not_ believe the text message I'd just gotten from my dad! Okay! So, I'm sitting in History, listening to Collins drone on and _on_ about wars and stuff, right? _Then_ , I feel my cellphone vibrating, so I totally pull it out of my pocket to answer it - Yeah, yeah, even though we're not supposed to even have them on during class, let alone playing around with them, I _know_ ; who _cares?_ " she began in one breath, finally taking a brief moment to exhale and resume telling her already titillating tale. " _Anyway!_ I see it's from my dad, and I'm thinking, 'Okay. That's kinda weird, since, neither he nor Mom usually sends me messages during school hours. But, maybe he just wants to ask me to go pick up something at the supermarket on my way home, or whatever.' So, I open it up, and what do I say written there, but _this!_ 'Sweetie, Your dad has just been invited to the Princess of Marsily's grand ball this Saturday night, and is allowed to bring the rest of his family! You and your mother better start shopping for the most beautiful gowns you already lovely ladies can find! Love, Daddy.' Can you _believe_ it?"

Elyon slowly returned her friend's cellphone after having been handed it to read the open text message in question, and grinned excitedly back at her, and then at the ever animated Martin before speaking.

"Nooo, _way!_ I _can't_ believe it! My mom was _just_ telling me about the Princess's ball and the royal treasure she plans to reveal to the public that night! Aww, now I _really_ wish I could somehow be able to go, as well!" she momentarily pouted in disappointment, before resuming the jumping up and down fest the two friends had been conducting prior to looking at the text message.

"Yeah, you and everyone _else_ in the city, probably, Ellie," Martin chimed in with a defeated sigh of his own as he finally began to calm down some, although the smile upon his face still remained, "but, unless you happen to be a world famous celebrity, a fellow royal like the Princess, or some form of media nut who's there to cover the unveiling of her prized treasure, then I'm afraid you're out of luck. . . . Well, unless you also happen to be an _extremely_ popular and increasingly well known _jeweler_ , who just also happened to send a super expensive and one of a kind diamond necklace to the Princess as a gift for Saturday night, then that would help, too, I suppose. . . ."

Alchemy groaned in faint vexation at this, and promptly stopped within her ongoing celebrating with Elyon in order to lightly punch Martin upon the arm.

" _Hey!_ It wasn't like that, like my dad _bribed_ her, or something, jerko! It's like you just said: My dad's jewelry business is _really_ taking off, more and more as each day passes, and people from practically all over the world want to buy some of his jewelry _because_ of it - _Including_ the Royal Family of Marsily!" she remarked in defense, watching in satisfaction as her childhood friend began to rub his now slightly sore arm. "The Queen had recently requested a piece from my dad last summer, in fact: a custom made chocolate diamond necklace, bracelet, _and_ earrings set. And I guess, since she had done so and seemed to really enjoy it, as a returned thanks, my dad had sent a matching set to the Princess as a gift. . . . I suppose they'd remembered his generosity and good business that they'd decided to invite him to Princess Étaín's ball in further gratitude. . . . And, now _I_ get to go, too, so in your _face_ , Marty!"

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry! _Yeesh!_ It's always resorting to _violence_ with you girls whenever I'm around you!" Martin commented within an exasperated huff, no longer caressing his lightly bruised appendage, however still keeping his hand over it in further comfort. "Just remember to take lots of pictures for us, if you can, all right?"

"Yeah, Alkie! If I can't go, at least seeing personal pictures of the ball and the Princess will be the next best thing! And then, coupling that with watching her present her mystical treasure on TV, and it'll be like I _were_ actually there, myself!" Elyon swooned in reflection, lightly daydreaming about what the ballroom might look like during that evening.

Alchemy nodded in understanding, before wrapping an arm around the dishwater blonde and, surprisingly, Martin, as well.

"Sure, thing! Trust me, if I could, I'd invite both you _and_ Marty, here, despite his distasteful comments," she said with another smirk, pulling both of her childhood friends closer to her as she spoke. "But, I wonder what the treasure will be, anyhow?"

"Probably just some dusty, old brooch or something, handed down for _billions_ of years, from generation to generation until it'd reached Princess Étaín," Martin casually ventured a guess, before idly readjusting his silver framed eyeglasses upon his face. " _Either_ way, it's gonna be great just to see her _super_ hot face, up close and personal - Well, _sort_ of, anyway. . . ."

Martin immediately began to blush furiously in embarrassment upon realizing his words, in addition to catching his two girlfriends staring at him in surprise, before they'd both promptly began to giggle.

"Aww, does the wittle Marty-Poo have a crushie on the Princess? Then, I'll be sure to try to get her autograph _and_ picture, _just_ for you, so you can hang it on your bedroom wall alongside your posters of _amoebas_ , and _other_ 'sciencey' stuff you got in there," Alchemy gaily teased, playfully pinching the boy's reddening cheeks before he lightly pushed her away. " _Anyway_ , Elle, now that you're no longer on punishment, we should _totally_ go to M.S.C. to celebrate, _and_ to catch up, as well!"

"Er . . . a-actually, I kinda sorta already have plans to go there, Alchemy . . . with Taranee, and -" Elyon began amidst chuckling at the friendly display, before both friends instantly stopped what they were doing upon hearing this.

"Whoa! _Back_ up! Did you say you have plans to hang out with Taranee? As in, Taranee _Cook_ , the super duper, walking _computer?_ She's like, practically a _legend_ in this city - _Especially_ for fellow, although, by comparison, _far_ less intellectuals, as myself! But, I've always heard that she's quite the loner; how'd you end up managing to convince her to go out with you, Elyon?" Martin curiously inquired with a slightly astonished expression upon his face. "And _since_ you have, would you mind letting her know that I'm a _big_ fan and am aspiring to be just as smart as she is? . . . . _Man_ , is _she_ ever the looker, herself. . . ."

Elyon blinked in overwhelming perplexity, her face growing hot at suddenly being put on the spot, at the same time that Martin's had done the same, however in regards to having yet again revealed another one of his apparent crushes.

"E-Er, well . . . I-I _guess_ I can let her know . . . _eventually_ , anyway, Martin. As for how I'd gotten her to come out with me, well. . . ." she trailed off for a moment, not really sure how to answer that, as she hadn't honestly done a thing. It had all been Csilla's doing, and Elyon wasn't entirely positive that the reserved intellect would even appear later on . . . although, it was her great hope that she would. "She and I had met last week, when I'd gone over to her school to get a tutor, and . . . well, I guess you can just say that we sort of . . . hit it off ever since."

That wasn't a complete lie.

The two _had_ met during the previous week, and really did slightly hit it off, thereafter . . . however, merely as fellow Guardian Soldiers, rather than actual friends . . . for now, at least, hopefully.

But Elyon wasn't even really sure if she and Taranee were on good terms as Guardian comrades quite yet, as they'd only fought together once so far, and hadn't been able to really speak with one another since.

_Hopefully, I can fix that, once I get over to the café to see her, though_ , the dishwater blonde thought in optimism, watching as Martin slowly nodded in understanding and looking impressed, while Alchemy, surprisingly, suddenly appeared rather pensive.

". . . . Alkie? You okay, there? You don't look so happy, anymore," she asked in concern, resting a hand upon the other girl's shoulder.

Alchemy nearly jumped in surprise, managing to just barely recover without being noticed, before promptly nodding in response.

"Huh? O-Oh, yeah, sure. I was just . . . kinda surprised to learn that you've become such fast friends with Taranee in only a week's time. . . . I'm _also_ kind of surprised that you were able to at _all_ , I mean . . . _you_ know, because of her apparent distance towards other people, and everything. . . ." she said with a faint smile in reassurance, although her voice was now curiously detached, slightly.

Nonetheless, Elyon hadn't seemed to notice, as she merely shook her head in disagreement and returned the simper, although one far more generous by comparison.

"Actually, she's really just shy, is all. . . . I'm sure it doesn't help much, with all those stupid rumors about her supposedly being so cold and cruel circulating around, either," she defended of her hopeful new friend, letting go of Alchemy's shoulder to readjust the book bag upon her back. "But, she's really pretty kind, brave and helpful - Y-You know, because she's saving my butt now, being 'brave' enough to be my new math tutor, and all! Heh, heh. . . ."

_Phew. That was close. Otherwise, I would've had to explain that I really meant that Taranee was brave and helpful as a fellow Guardian Soldier_ , Elyon silently reflected as an afterthought, although once more feeling bad for continually keeping a secret from her best friend . . . even if it was most likely for the better that she do so.

"I'm just taking Taranee out right now as a way to show my appreciation, that's all. But, I'd better jet, or else I'll be late!" the blonde added with a grin, looking from Martin to Alchemy, before waving at them in goodbye.

"Make sure you say hi for me, too, Elle!" the sole man of the trio called out after his retreating friend with an eager smile upon his face, causing Alchemy to roll her eyes once more at her friend while next to him.

An idea then came to her.

"Oh! H-Hey, wait up, Elyon! I'll go with you!" the pixie hair cut teenager said after catching up to the departing pigtailed girl, leaving Martin behind. "That way, I can get to know her, myself, as well! And then, maybe afterwards, you and I can head over to the mall to help me pick out the gown I'll wear for the ball on Saturday!"

Elyon tensed up at this, although thankfully not so visibly, it seemed, as Alchemy did not make any sort of comment to the act. She slowly turned around and smiled nervously at the slightly taller girl before her.

"W-What? No, no, that's all right, Alkie! I-I mean, like I said, Taranee's a pretty shy girl, you know? And it was pretty hard getting her to agree to come out with just me, as it is," she hastily lied, her stomach becoming knotted up with guilt. "B-But, maybe next time you can meet her, whenever she may want to hang out again! As for helping you out with your shopping, I'll _totally_ be there! I'll give you a call after I'm done hanging with Taranee, okay? See ya!"

And with that, Elyon made a swift retreat, before her friend could neither respond nor object to her newfound plans. She felt tremendously awful for having done such a thing, and really did want Alchemy to get to know the awesomely talented Vesta's Academy for Girls student at the same time that she, herself, was beginning to.

However, given that Elyon's talking cat had been the one arranging the little get together in the first place, it sort of felt as though it were Guardian Soldier related, despite not being honestly sure what the feline's surprise could possibly be.

_No worries, Alkie; I'll make it up to you later, when we go to the mall together, and I buy you a few neat accessories to go with whatever gown you'll pick_ , Elyon silently resolved with a small nod to herself, as she rounded a corner and became out of sight for the friend whom she was well aware was still watching her go.

Alchemy, meanwhile, began to feel mixed feelings, all of which were sadly negative and rather bothersome, as she just then watched her pigtailed friend vanish from her field of vision. Her previously good mood continued to rapidly evaporate, as it was effortlessly replaced by worried thoughts and emotions.

_Ever since we'd come back from that three-day weekend for Columbus Day, it's sort of felt as though Ellie's . . ._ _changed_ _, somehow. . . . And now that she's finally not grounded any longer, I was hoping we could catch up and hang out again . . . but now. . . ._ the rust haired girl thought deplorably to herself, unable to finish her mental note, as she now gazed at nothing in particular and her unraveling concerns continued to mount. . . .

* * *

"Oh! _There_ you are, Elyon! It's certainly about time!" Csilla lightly scolded the pigtailed girl, as the tiny feline watched her approach. "Taranee and I have been waiting for what's felt like _ages!_ Wouldn't you say so, Taranee?"

Elyon, in between her sharp gasps for breath after all the running she had done, in order to make it to the Musical Star Café appointment with her two companions on time, managed to smile warmly at the French braided girl standing awkwardly before her and next to the talking, blue-gray cat.

She watched in slight amusement as Taranee began to blush upon being put on the spot in that way, and softly cleared her throat before responding.

". . . . O-Oh, well . . . I don't really think we were waiting _too_ long for you, Miss Brown," she said quietly with a faint, crooked smile, nervously reaching up to readjust her dark and slim-framed eyeglasses.

Elyon couldn't help but promptly giggle at this after having managed to properly catch her breath, and stepped toward the taller girl.

"' _Miss Brown?_ ' Are you _serious_ , Taranee? Calling me that just makes me sound like some old _woman_ or something - Not to mention it doesn't really feel like we're friends if you do," she remarked with a growing smile after her brief laughter had ceased, and rested a hand upon the school uniformed shoulder of the now furiously blushing Taranee. "Just call me ' _Elyon_ ,' just like _I_ call _you_ 'Taranee,' okay? There's no need for formalities, especially now that we're teammates."

". . . . Sorry . . . it's just that my parents have always raised my older brother and I to be respectful with _everyone_ , regardless of age, and especially if we do not know them too well," the new Guardian Soldier of Fiery Passion and Wisdom gently explained with another dark rouge gracing her otherwise flawless and mocha hued countenance.

Elyon released Taranee's arm and waved her hand within the air in slight dismissal.

"Nah, no way! We're _teenagers_ , Taranee! We're _supposed_ to be informal and call each other all sorts of crazy nicknames! Besides which, like I'd just said, you and I are _friends_ now, so there's no need," she said in rebuttal, grinning happily at the other girl, before bending over to pick up Csilla and pet her in greeting. "I'm really glad you'd decided to answer Csilla's request to come here today, too - I was admittedly a bit worried that you wouldn't. . . . But, now we can get to know each other a whole lot better! And see, look! I just learned that you have an older brother - We're _already_ making progress! Heh, heh . . . . That's so cool, though, really. . . . I'm an only child, you see, and admittedly have kinda always wanted to have a brother more than a sister, myself. . . ."

Csilla groaned heavily within her charge's arms suddenly, and shook her head in exasperation.

"Good grief! You're going to talk the poor girl's _ear_ off and scare her away, before I've even gotten a chance to show you your dual surprises! Now, let's hurry on inside, already!" she spoke with a light sigh, before gently smiling up at both girls with distinct excitement shining forth from her emerald colored eyes.

Elyon rolled her soft blue eyes at this before nodding, and began to grin again, herself, as she once again recalled the reason why all of them were there to begin with.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Csilla. Don't listen to her, Taranee! You and I have gotta stick together against the vile forces, which happens to be Csilla's incessant _nagging!_ " she giggled gaily, before leading the way towards the front entrance of the Musical Star Café. She then abruptly stopped, as she gazed down at the furry feline currently pouting within her arms. "Oh, hey. Wait, a second. How can you come inside with us, Csilla? You're a cat - No animals allowed inside. . . ."

Despite the apparent truth within the blonde's words, Csilla nonetheless began to smile knowingly.

". . . . Let's just say that _this_ cat has a few tricks up her sleeves. Now, trust me, and let's head on in, girls," she replied calmly, before her blonde charge then resumed her walking without any further objection.

Taranee paused for a moment, beginning to think to herself as she gradually became preoccupied with other matters.

_She and I . . . have to stick together? Does . . . she really think of me as her friend, now, and really does wish to get to know me? Or . . . is it only because we're now both . . . Guardian Soldiers?_ she mulled over silently with a small pout and furrowed brow in worry, completely unsure of the correct answer. _I really_ _do_ _hope we can be friends, though. . . ._

With a small exhale, Taranee walked inside after the girl in question and her pet, while doing her best to push away her concerned and second guessing woes, if only for the time being.

A tall young man, with light blue eyes, softly tanned skin, and long, sunlit colored hair pulled back into a draping ponytail suddenly greeted Elyon as the two girls approached just then, causing Taranee to nearly jump in surprise in the process.

She hadn't ever bothered to come into this establishment prior to now, primarily due to always feeling out of place nearly everywhere she'd go due to her unfortunately preceding reputation, and so having even more attention being drawn to her company and herself was only making her growing anxiety worse.

Especially once the unknown man then smiled warmly at her, in turn, before veering his attention back onto the now curiously beaming and slightly blushing Elyon.

"Hey, there, Elyon! Nice to finally see your always cheerful face back in here! It just hasn't been the same these last two weeks - Alchemy told me in passing how you'd apparently gotten in trouble with your folks over your grades," the ponytailed, apparent café employee spoke kindly, as he continued to stand behind the customer counter, and with a brown apron wrapped around his vaguely muscular body. "If I had more time, then maybe I could've tutored you some time. But, I'm still sure it was just an off day for you, like I'd said. Anyway! Who's your friend?"

Elyon giggled bashfully, her blush growing a tad strong as she then responded.

"I-It's all right, Cedric - I'd hate to take away any of your precious time away from you, what with you having more _important_ things to deal with, after all. But, thanks!" she said with a wide grin and stars within her eyes, before turning her attention onto Taranee and rested a hand upon her shoulder. "Besides! I'm kinda hoping that my new friend here might be so kind enough as to help me with my studies in the near future! Cedric, this is the _ü_ _ber_ -fantastical genius and all around talented girl, Taranee Cook! Taranee, this is my good friend, Cedric Wright. He practically knows me like the back of his hand, primarily due to the fact that I'm _always_ coming in here like, _all_ the time."

"Yeah, mainly to listen to all of Cornelia Hale's music over and over, while eating up all our goodies - And _that's_ why she and her other friend, Alchemy, are one of our best customers," the man now known as Cedric lightly teased with a wink towards the continually giggling dishwater blonde, before extending out his hand towards a now very sheepish looking Taranee. "It's very nice to meet you, Taranee. Actually, I think I've heard about you. You're quite the 'celebrity' around these parts; it must be an honor."

Taranee nodded slowly, uncertain of what to say to that for a few moments, before then settling upon her usual response to such a quite habitual statement.

". . . . Y-Yes, of course. It . . . truly is, Mr. Wright, thank you; it's nice to make your acquaintance, as well," she replied a tad hollowly, although gave a genuine, albeit shy smile, nonetheless, as she took Cedric's hand and shook it.

Cedric smiled back at the raven haired girl and gave a nod of his own in understanding, while Elyon suddenly gave an exasperated groan before grinning.

"Maaan, Cedric, _too_ , Taranee? First _me_ , with calling me 'Miss Brown,' and now _him_ , with 'Mr. Wright?' _Boy_ , have I got a lot to 'deprogram' within you," she remarked playfully, smiling broadly at a profusely blushing Taranee, while Cedric lightly chuckled in vague confusion.

Just then, Csilla, who'd seemed to be temporarily forgotten, suddenly mewed softly, although loud enough to garner the trio's attention.

Both Elyon and Taranee gazed upon her expectantly, while Cedric curiously appeared undaunted by her presence.

Clearing his throat, Cedric bestowed onto both girls another warm smile, before mysteriously nodding his head to his right and towards a pair of golden colored elevators in the slight distance.

"Well, don't let me keep you girls! I'm pretty sure you have your passports with you, so just go on ahead over to the elevators to enter the V.I.P. lounge and pet area! See you later, 'Pretty Kitty' - You're lucky to have been adopted by such a great gal as Elyon," he said in compliment and a gentle pat of Csilla's fluffy, bluish gray tinted head, before giving a quick wave to the both, now quite perplexed girls and returned to tending to his occupational duties.

". . . . Wow . . . now, _that_ . . . that was pretty weird," Elyon murmured to her companions, after watching Cedric retreat to the other side of the counter to provide service to a small group of random customers who'd just then entered the relatively active café.

Taranee slowly nodded in agreement, raising a slim eyebrow in affect.

"Yeah. . . . Csilla, what exactly is going on?" she softly whispered in question to the knowing feline still wrapped securely within Elyon's arms, before gazing up at the blonde questionably.

"You'll see, girls. Now, let's go and do what the young man had said and head over to those elevators, shall we?" Csilla whispered back with a cautious darting of her green eyes to and fro as she did so, at the same time the two Guardian Soldiers merely nodded in compliance and at last headed over to the awaiting two elevators in the distance.

Pressing the button to open the elevator doors, and walking inside of its unoccupied space after it'd promptly opened for the trio, Elyon finally spoke.

"Ya know, I've must have come here about a _gazillion_ times since it's opened, and I've never once bothered to use these elevators, let alone had known about its apparent 'V.I.P. lounge and pet area,'" she remarked in mixed confusion and awe, peering down at the circular, numbered buttons upon the elevator's operating panel. "Anyhow, there's a first floor button, which . . . I guess is _this_ floor, here. And then a second floor button, as well. I wonder where it leads to. . . ."

". . . . Maybe there is _another_ level for the customers to sit, eat and relax, or read the various magazines and books if they're not busy listening to the music down here? I . . . do know of several other café book or music stores which offer the same sort of furthered luxuries, anyway. And maybe that's where this V.I.P. area your friend was talking about is, as well," Taranee quietly offered from beside the pigtailed girl, who smiled at her in acknowledgment, causing her cheeks to grow hot by that particular action, as per usual, it seemed like. She then gently cocked her raven colored head to the side in growing curiosity, as she'd caught sight of the peculiar, slightly pulsating green colored and star shaped button placed directly below the first floor's button. ". . . . Although, something inside of me is . . . sort of telling me that we should probably press _this_ one, instead. . . ."

And before anything further could have been said, Taranee unexpectedly moved forward and promptly pressed a slender finger against the glowing button, and watched as the doors to the elevator at last closed and sealed the group inside.

"W-What'd you do _that_ for, Taranee? You don't even know where it'll lead us to - _Especially_ when I hadn't even noticed it seconds before, myself," Elyon commented with a small gasp of surprise, before gazing properly upon the mysterious button. "Something tells me, though, that that button is _not_ normal. . . ."

Csilla smiled broadly and calmly with a knowing air, before gently pushing against her charge's chest, and jumped down onto the lightly vibrating floor as it continued to descend to its unknown destination . . . at least, unknown to all but she.

"I'm not surprised you hadn't, Elyon, what with your sometimes short attention span," she lightly teased with a wink, before turning around to face the closed doors, just as the elevator had then stopped. "And as for the button . . . let's just say that no one else who may use this elevator in the future after us will ever notice it, as well, as it shall only appear - And then, _disappear_ , once not in use - for the Guardian Soldiers. . . ."

Both Elyon and Taranee raised their eyebrows at this.

"Oh, yeah? But, how come, Csilla? That is, what does it lead to?" the reserved intellect queried as she looked down at the fluffy feline, just as the elevator doors slowly slid opened.

Elyon gasped sharply, lightly tapping upon the slightly taller girl's shoulder with one hand, while extending the index finger of her other directly before her.

" _T-That's_ what, Taranee. . . . _Look!_ " she nearly squealed, before immediately rushing on ahead of her two comrades.

Csilla merely chuckled softly in expectancy and detected pride, as she too then left the elevator and leaving the now flabbergasted Taranee in her wake.

". . . . No, _way_ ," the brown eyed girl whispered to herself within extreme awe, before slowly retreating from the formerly full elevator, and mindlessly followed after her two companions.

Before her lay one of the most extravagant and luxurious rooms both she and Elyon had ever seen. Black, square and marble tiles covered the floor, where mysterious, and almost mystical-like symbols of various shapes that at least Elyon alone, perhaps did not recognize.

Beyond the star shaped, light blue sigil which seemed identical to the pendant she wore around her neck, in addition to Taranee's deep red symbol of the planet Mars, the dishwater blonde was at an honest loss. Every other, specific symbol each had its own color hue adorning it, as well, the girls could see, consisting of soft green, amber, a light cyan, and maize.

Several pieces of white colored and rather comfortable looking furniture decorated the spacious room, including individual round, as well as square shaped ottomans of either black or white strategically placed throughout the area, and two twin, rather elongated sofas surrounding a sleek and black colored square coffee table. Two other tables identical in appearance were placed within the room, with one near one of the white colored walls and diagonally behind its companion and the two sofas, and where a few more ottomans cradled it in company. The other was placed, and just barely seen, slightly behind the wall of the now closed elevator, where a few more ottoman chairs joined it.

A large and rather expensive looking flat screen television with surrounding speakers were mounted upon the wall to the left of the twin sofas; a circular shaped, large faced and white colored laptop rested upon a small black work desk directly underneath the television, and were both placed within the rectangular shaped and uniquely carved out part of the same wall.

Around the corner, back towards the elevator and the nearby, seemingly stray table, as both Guardian Soldiers could see once they'd each ventured within that direction, was what appeared to be yet another entertainment area of sorts. Two black colored music listening stations, much like the several erected within the upper levels of the café for its customers, was placed up against the far wall in the distance; and two reading article racks which housed innumerable amounts of various and colorful looking magazines and books were propped up on both sides of the musical devices.

And last, although certainly not least, directly across from the music listening area, and on the other side of the vast, private room, was a rather attractive kitchen bar. Outfitted to match the overall room's continued color scheme of either black or white, in it were several dark colored cabinets, white countertop and stools, sink, microwave, and a miniature, although just as convenient refrigerator.

Indeed, this lavish, almost enchanted sort of room certainly _was_ a V.I.P. lounge area.

". . . . Well, girls? What do you think?" Csilla asked with admitted eagerness and bubbling pride, her slender tail swishing back and forth with growing intrigue as she gazed at the two wandering teenagers from where she now sat, upon the slimming coffee table in between the two sofas.

"It's . . . it's _spectacular_ , Csilla, honestly! But . . . did _you_ really do all this? _How?"_ Taranee responded in an overabundance of breathless awe, as her twinkling brown eyes continued to survey the luxurious room, at her current place in front of the circular shaped laptop.

Csilla chuckled softly, averting her emerald colored eyes away from the raven haired girl in momentary modesty, before grinning broadly back at her.

"Why, with a little help from my _own_ innate powers, although only slight and far more 'inferior,' as it were, to both yours and Elyon's by comparison, and admittedly so," she began openly, her tail continuing to lazily sway back and forth at her side. "It's what helps me inevitably sense and then locate each of you Guardian Soldiers, you see; it is also how I was able to more or less entrance Elyon's friend up there, Cedric, into being more than copasetic with my coming into the café to begin with. I've found that those living within this city all seem rather fond of their _own_ pets, so it's of no surprise, I suppose, that none of the customers currently upstairs had even flinched at the sight of me, either.

Anyhow, I had admittedly been working on this place since I had first found Elyon, and had just only completed its design two days ago. I'd wanted all of us - You girls, and the rest of your fellow Guardian Soldiers once we've found them, that is - to be able to have a steady location, in which we could all meet regularly and discuss our mission freely.

And so, I'd thought that I would choose a place that _Elyon_ , at least, frequents often, and then 'deck it out,' as it were, just as an added incentive for her to actually attend future meetings. And I've also made sure to ensure this place stays secret and inaccessible to anyone else, by making it so that that particular star shaped button you both had seen in the elevator and had led us here, only appears to a Guardian Soldier, and then promptly vanishes once it's fulfilled its purpose for that time.

So . . . feel free to think of this place as our new headquarters or little safe haven, even, without any fear of it being intruded upon by unwanted guests."

Taranee merely nodded in understanding upon finished listening to Csilla's complete explanation of the charmed room, and softly smiled in growing respect for the seemingly helpless feline. Elyon, meanwhile, had heard only perhaps part of what her guardian had to say, as she was now far too enthralled with the newly discovered personal music listening station in the far corner.

"Oooh, no _way!_ Now, I don't even have to stay upstairs, and wait _forever_ sometimes, to sit and listen to new and old music from Cornelia Hale! I can just do it down here! You totally _rock_ , Csilla! You've even got her latest album listed in here, in addition to all of her previous hits! _Ahh!"_ the dishwater blonde squealed fiercely in delight, as she swiftly plopped down onto the black colored stool placed before one of the two musical devices, and placed the large headphones over her contrastingly small ears. She was about to select a particular track, when she suddenly gasped the moment something else had caught her repeatedly changing attention. " _Oh!_ That's the latest issue of 'Teen Scream Magazine!' With Cornelia _also_ featured on the cover! I'd been _dying_ to buy this as soon as I saw the commercial for it last week, but since I'd been _grounded_ and now so busy with Guardian stuff, I haven't had the time! Ohh, Csilla, I freaking _love_ you!"

Despite the girl's increasingly loud vocal tones as her unbridled jubilation continued to soar, Csilla nonetheless found it rather inviting to witness, and joined in within the merriment with a few giggles of her own. She may have only known the pigtailed girl for just a short while, now; however, Csilla was pleased to see that she already knew the majority of Elyon's current interests within her young life thus far.

The bluish gray cat was about to respond, when Taranee suddenly, as well as most curiously began a swift pace towards the very elated Elyon, who now sat upon the tiled floor, and flipped through the orange faced magazine in question.

She gently picked up another copy of the reading material from off of the magazine and book rack, and began flipping through the pages, herself, although within a more strategic manner than the shorter girl seated before her.

"Yeah, I love this particular issue. It shows all sorts of really glamorous shots of Cornelia's new summer home in Florence, Italy, and she _really_ gets pretty candid within this particular interview - It's a _really_ good read," Taranee said without thinking, her usual guard completely evaporated (if only for that particular moment, at least), as she continued turning the multiple pages of the magazine until at last arriving onto the idol singer's interview in question.

Elyon slowly looked up from her own copy then, and both she and Csilla gazed upon the still unsuspecting intellect with surprised and widened eyes. Upon realizing the room had curiously gone abruptly silent thereafter, Taranee at last looked up from the magazine page and promptly blushed in profuse embarrassment, once her brown eyes locked with the other girl's taken aback soft blue.

". . . . O-Oh, sorry . . . I suppose I shouldn't have revealed anything to you, since you had yet to read that far, or at all, actually," she apologized with a sheepish simper, quickly closing and replacing the 'Teen Scream Magazine' back onto the rack.

Elyon vigorously shook her blonde head back and forth at this, forgetting about her own magazine copy, as she swiftly rose to her feet with a broad grin.

"No, no! It's not that, Taranee! It's just . . . I know I don't know you well yet, but . . . you don't really strike me as the kind of girl to, well, be into this sort of stuff. But, I can't believe you're apparently a fellow Cornelia Hale fan like _me!_ " she said happily, giggling softly at the other girl's flushed cheeks.

Taranee awkwardly smiled back and slowly nodded in admittance, reaching up to readjust her slim eyeglasses before responding.

"W-Well . . . it's no big deal, really. Sometimes, I find listening to her music helps me study a bit more successfully than the classical music I also enjoy," she began to explain, lightly rubbing her left arm in comfort. "And so, I . . . also happen to own every album she's ever made so far, in addition to some of her clothing and all of the magazines she's been featured in. . . . I've actually . . . never told anyone that before - Well, none outside of my immediate family, that is. . . ."

Elyon's blue eyes twinkled in furthered delight at this, and promptly clasped the both of Taranee's hands within her own and gently squeezed them.

"'No big deal?' This is a _huge_ deal, Taranee! You and I just found out that we have something super great in common - Ya know, besides fighting evil together and stuff, anyway. Now, we can gossip together about the latest Cornelia news!" she said with another giggle, lightly jumping up and down in her place, as Csilla quietly approached with a smile of her own upon her fluffy face. "Plus! You just told me something that apparently no one else of non-familial relation actually knows about you! That shows me that maybe you're _not_ so super shy and reserved around me anymore, and are starting to view me as an honest friend! That makes me happy!"

Taranee blinked furiously upon hearing this, her heart fluttering in grand astonishment and furthered abashment, as her mind began to mull over and realize the significance of the girl's words.

_Is it . . . true? Is she truly a real friend I can completely trust?_ she silently asked herself in reflection, lightly tilting her dark colored head to the side in affect _. I mean, I_ _did_ _just willingly tell her something secret and personal about myself without even thinking about it. . . . Maybe . . . maybe I really don't have to worry about whether or not she likes me for me, or only because I'm smart and a fellow Guardian Soldier, now. . . ._

Clearing her throat slowly, Taranee then nodded faintly in mild agreement towards Elyon, before replying.

". . . . Yeah. I guess you're right about that, Miss Brown," she said with a growing, more relaxed and genuine smile beginning to flash upon her flawless countenance. Her simper vanished, however, once she saw Elyon's own falter curiously, before releasing her hands.

"Aww, gee . . . _again_ with the 'Miss Brown?' Taranee, you've _gotta_ quit it with that, honestly, here, because it's really starting to bum me out - Especially now, and after it seemed like you were growing more comfortable with me," she commented with a tiny sigh of disappointment, although her eyes still shone with optimism. "Ah, well. Rome wasn't built in a day, after all - Baby steps, I guess."

Taranee's stomach immediately felt sick with worry and returned confliction after hearing this, however forced a returned smile of her own and lightly nodded. She wasn't sure what to think, now, and just seconds after finally feeling a bit more comfortable and confident within her budding relationship with the generally bubbly blonde before her.

_Did_ she really have nothing to be concerned about, or didn't she?

It was becoming all too perplexing for even someone of her vast intelligence to comprehend.

Before Taranee could think, or perhaps even respond upon it further, Csilla suddenly cleared her own throat, before jumping onto the nearby coffee table behind the two girls.

". . . . Not to be rude, but we still have quite a few important issues to discuss today, before it grows too late, after all," the female feline stated softly, green eyes reflecting dual sympathy and understanding to the previous and awkwardly completed topic. "Now, then . . . first, I would like to give to the both of you yet _another_ gift of sorts, before we dive in, all right?"

Without another word, Csilla closed her eyes and began to concentrate, causing the seven-pointed and emerald hued star birthmark upon her forehead to shine once more. Both girls watched with mounting curiosity, as the previous discussion between them gradually became forgotten . . . although, not truly quick enough, for Taranee, at least, as she discreetly began to inch away from Elyon and reopen the distance between them.

Elyon, however, hadn't seemed to take notice of this, as she merely continued to stare at her newly owned "pet" expectantly, before moving closer toward her. The moment she had, two slightly miniscule orbs, one red and one a light blue, magically appeared between the two of them, and hovered within the air for a moment or two. Then, within a sudden flash of white, both vanished to reveal what looked like two different colored palm pilots of sorts resting upon the coffee table, and before the tiny cat's equally small paws.

Once Csilla's forehead ceased within its glowing, she then opened her eyes and smiled softly down upon the two materialized items, before looking up at her two soldiers. Before she could speak, however, Elyon had beaten her to it, already descending upon the periwinkle colored device in particular.

"Ohhh, get _out!_ iPhones? You're giving me and Taranee _iPhones_ now too, Csilla? I _swear_ this feels like my birthday already, or something! And this is _exactly_ like the one I wanted to eventually get, and had been secretly saving up enough money for, since my folks kept saying how these kinds of phones are 'far too high tech and expensive for a sometimes easily distracted girl as yourself to have!' Yeah? Well, not _anymore_ , Mom and Dad!" she gushed with renewed happiness, as she examined the technologically sophisticated and currently turned off cellphone within her hands.

She delicately turned it over to see a lone, silver tinted and outlined star within the center of the multitasking phone's back, and immediately recognized it to be identical to the pendant currently around her neck.

_This one must be for me, then_ , the blonde thought in reflection, before turning the iPhone back over and turned it on. As though having read her thoughts (which Elyon would not doubt the animal capable of doing by this point), Csilla nodded briefly, before stating, "The one you hold within your hands is for you, Elyon, while this one here is for _you_ , Taranee. Although having been modeled after those iPhone devices everyone everywhere is practically _gaga_ over, true, I have affectionately dubbed them ' _gPhones_ ,' instead, which is short for 'Guardian Phones.'

These will act as your official communicators between one another and myself, so that we will always be able to stay in contact if ever a situation should occur. And while it has every last feature built within any standard iPhone currently out within the market, its digital camera feature is most special, I will say. . . ."

"Special? How so, Csilla?" Taranee softly asked in wonder, as she listened carefully to the female cat's explanation of her new gift item, before then moving forward to retrieve the dark red colored phone still waiting for her upon the table.

A small, however undetected smile slowly began to spread across her naturally full lips, as she, too, looked over her device in the same manner Elyon had for her own. Bright orange flames wildly decorated the back of the aptly named gPhone, while the increasingly familiar sigil of Mars shined proudly up at her within the center and its usual red color.

Even though Taranee admittedly already had another iPhone within her possession, courtesy of her parents and as a way to further keep organized with her numerous activities in addition to keeping in touch, she would not say anything of the sort to the generous feline seated upon the coffee table before her.

She didn't want to seem ungrateful in any way, after all; besides, truth be told, the French braided girl found this particular cellphone to be much more appealing than the generic, white shelled one she'd mindlessly chosen when having gone with her parents to purchase it during the previous year.

Pleased to see that both girls were apparently just as copasetic over their new phones, Csilla lightly began to tap the very tip of her tail up and down upon the table beneath her before speaking once more.

"They are special, Taranee, because there may be times when we will need to investigate an area, and it may be heavily guarded or even restricted to certain kinds of people," she began seriously, as both girls simultaneously took a seat upon the nearby ottomans placed around the table. "And so, if ever should a moment as that arrive, you will be able to use your gPhones and instantly disguise yourselves into anything you see fit, so long as you point the cameras at whatever object or person you are trying to emulate, that is."

Elyon's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and looked down at her cellular phone for a moment, before returning her gaze back onto her animal friend.

"Wait, wait, _wait_. So, you're saying that Taranee and I can become _anything_ we want with these? And just by pointing it at whatever and taking its picture?" she asked in reiteration of what her guardian had already stated, before immediately rising to her feet to retrieve her momentarily forgotten _Teen Scream Magazine_ , and already flipping it open. "I _have_ to try this out right now! Especially since I'd just seen this really cute outfit in here . . . I think on page fifteen, or so. Hmm. . . ."

"Er . . . well, yes, Elyon, you really _can_ take a snapshot of whatever you wish, and will instantly be wearing it, yourself. _B-But_ , that doesn't mean it should be taken lightly! Your gPhone is _not_ a toy, you know; it should be used - Including and _specifically_ the camera feature - for serious and Guardian Soldier matters, as well as _responsibly_ ," Csilla pressingly remarked with growing anxiousness, as both she and Taranee watched the blue eyed girl seemingly disregard her words, and continued to excitedly turn through the pages of her magazine, until at last reaching the spot she had been searching.

"Yeah, _yeah_ , I _know_ that, Csilla! But I _gotta_ test it out, don't I? Ah, ha! _Found_ you! Ooh, this is gonna be so much _fun!_ " Elyon said with glee, standing from her spot with her gPhone in one hand, and the opened magazine in the other. "Here goes nothing!"

First briefly sifting through the various cellphone applications, before reaching the digital camera feature and choosing it, she then extended the appendage holding onto the reading material and carefully aimed the phone at the open page.

" _Cheese!_ " Elyon said with a giggle, before taking the photograph of the dark haired female model for the random product advertisement. Suddenly, a vast multitude of sparkling and shimmering white light exploded into the room for a moment, as it effortlessly shrouded the pigtailed girl's entire body in the process, before dying away just as swiftly as it had materialized.

It had taken Taranee (and perhaps even Csilla, despite having designed the magical feature, herself) a few moments to recognize the familiar, petite teenager afterward, as in place of her formerly casual tank top, shorts, sandaled, and slightly "chaotic" pigtailed self, now stood a rather sophisticated and blossoming young woman.

Blonde hair now sleek and partially swept up within a half updo, and the rest of it tied into a long ponytail which draped over her left shoulder, both Csilla and Taranee gasped in awe at the stunning and flirtatious, knotted-front halter and indigo colored convertible dress, which now comfortably hugged itself around Elyon's naturally slim frame.

On her feet, in place of her usual and favorite pair of sandals, were a rather expensive looking pair of matching indigo and suede, crisscrossing strap and ruffle pumps, while a simple, yet elegant and effective large golden bangle bracelet wrapped around the girl's slender left wrist.

The overall ensemble was absolutely breathtaking, and perfectly identical to Elyon's chosen magazine ad.

"Holy smokes! Having to be stuck being a Guardian Solider is beginning to get better and _better!_ Taranee, you've _gotta_ try it!" Elyon gushed jovially, giving herself a look-over, before tossing the magazine onto the coffee table and twirling around within her spot. "Think of the time I'll save now, getting ready for school each morning. . . ."

Taranee promptly shook her head in embarrassment, blushing lightly as she opened her mouth to respond, when Csilla abruptly cleared her throat and beat her to it.

"That's all well and fine that you seem to enjoy - And maybe even appreciate - my gift there, Elyon, but we should really all get down to business," she remarked with a light, serious frown, before then watching in appreciation as Elyon ceased within her whirling around, and slowly took a seat with a small pout upon her fair visage. ". . . . Thank you. Oh, but before we begin, for future note, in order to revert back to your normal guises, the both of you need only concentrate upon it, and your previous clothing shall reappear. Understood?"

"Pfft . . . fat chance, I'd wanna do that," Elyon mumbled underneath her breath to herself and a folding of her arms, before Taranee smiled crookedly upon hearing it, and then turned her attention back onto the tiny feline.

"So . . . what's so important, Csilla?" she asked tactfully, shifting the focus back onto the animal, before it could have verbally retaliated against the formerly pigtailed blonde.

Csilla nodded lightly in acknowledgment before responding.

"Well, first off, before I get to that, I must take the time to explain our mutual mission to you a bit further, Taranee, as I hadn't been able to go into extensive detail the last time I had seen you, the way I had for Elyon," she began with a soft, sympathetic smile. "As I had started to tell you on that day, after our first battle together, both you and Elyon are the prestigious Guardian Soldiers, sworn to protect the planet and our princess from any evil beings which may wish to threat either. Of course, first, we must find her, with that being our _top_ priority. And then, at the _same_ time, however, we must also locate the rest of your fellow comrades. . . ."

Taranee nodded slowly in growing understanding, while Elyon exhaled softly in mounting boredom, as she had listened to this particular "tale" a multitude of times by now; however, she'd chosen to remain otherwise silent, mainly out of respect and for her new friend's benefit.

"Right . . . I remember you starting to tell me this. So, then . . . if there is a princess somewhere out there for us to find, from which kingdom does she come? And . . . also, if you don't mind my asking this . . . who are _you,_ exactly, Csilla? That is, where did _you_ come from? Are you operating alone, or with another besides Miss Brown and myself?" she listed her many queries, her brown eyes now alight with its natural, inquisitive wonder. She paused a moment, before continuing on. ". . . . One more thing, too, that has sort of been perplexing me ever since I'd met the both of you and had become . . . Sailormars. . . . Why _me?_ I mean, why either one of us? Why were _we_ chosen for this task?"

At this, Elyon suddenly perked up and grinned knowingly, and lightly patted the raven haired girl upon the back of her dark colored school uniformed blazer.

"Ha! Now _that_ one's easy, and _I_ can answer it for you, no problem, Taranee! It's because 'it's our destiny and duty!' Yeah, Csilla's been feeding _me_ that line nearly every day since I'd first met her, myself, that I basically have it memorized," she teased with a small chuckle, before waving her left hand towards the now scowling feline in dismissal, causing the golden bangle wrapped around her wrist to slide up and down upon it in the process.

"Mock me all you'd like, Elyon, but it's the absolute truth. It _is_ your destiny - Both yours _and_ Taranee's, and, eventually, the other remaining Guardians once we've found them," Csilla said with a small hiss, before calming her tense expression, once she had turned her attention back onto Taranee. "As for where I've come from, Taranee . . . I can't say quite yet. Besides, neither of you would believe me if I told you right now, anyway. . . ."

Elyon lightly scratched the back of her formally done up head in confusion, while Taranee lightly shook her own in slight rebuttal.

"But . . . wait, Csilla. We would need just a little bit more information than that, if we are expected to be well prepared against the enemy, in addition to finding . . . what was it you called it? Oh, yeah: the mystical Star of Threbe," she spoke in good point, causing Elyon to then nod in agreement, as she began to listen more attentively to the ongoing discussion.

Csilla smiled gently at this, lightly swaying her slim tail back and forth across the dark coffee table where she continued to sit.

". . . . Spoken like a true genius," she complimented with a growing, warm simper, making Taranee lean back within her seat slightly in surprise, before blushing softly. "But, no . . . truth be told, even _I_ don't quite fully understand what our enemy's true, intended goal is just yet. The only thing I _do_ know for absolutely certain, is that they are here on earth, having apparently chosen Heatherfield as their continued terrorizing site. . . ."

"Hmm . . . so then, is that mainly why we have become Guardian Soldiers at all, Csilla?" Elyon blurted out in inquiry without entirely thinking, despite having already known the answer, somewhat.

Csilla shook her grayish hued head sharply, lightly frowning at her charge.

"No, Elyon! And here, I thought you'd been paying attention, after all the times I'd explained it to you, personally - Not to mention, I had just said so to Taranee, not but a couple of minutes prior. It is for the sole sake of protecting our _princess_ that you both are Guardian Soldiers," she reiterated pressingly, reaching out to lightly tap Elyon's blanketed lap with her paw, as though in further emphasis.

"Yeah, but we still haven't found her yet, though. So, _ergo_ , me and Taranee have become Guardians mainly to fight off those baddies, in the meantime," Elyon refuted with a brief roll of her soft blue eyes.

Taranee straightened her posture then, lightly placing a slender finger against her smooth, and mocha hued chin.

"True . . . I suppose. . . . Csilla, this princess . . . since she has yet to be found, how will we know it's her once she is? I mean, will she be discovered in the same way _we_ were? Or, does she already know we're trying to find her, and might be trying to locate us in return?" she offered yet another plethora of questions, softly biting her bottom lip as she awaited a response.

Csilla paused for a moment, honestly trying to think of an answer, as she was not yet entirely sure of them all, herself.

". . . . What I _do_ know, Taranee, is that there is . . . some sort of seal upon the Princess," she began slowly, furrowing her brows as she struggled to recall more internal information upon the matter. "That is, I am not honestly sure what it is, exactly, this seal, but . . . I believe I may have at least an idea. . . ."

It was Elyon's turn to frown softly, as she then spoke once more.

"But . . . wait. Why would such a thing as that even be necessary? I mean, if she's just a princess and royal and all that, then why bother, and who _would?"_ she posed a valid query, cocking her blonde head slightly to the side in further thought.

Csilla nodded faintly in acknowledgment, beginning to pace back and forth upon the coffee table.

"Perhaps . . . the Star of Threbe, itself, had placed it upon her, Elyon. From what I do know for certain about it, the Star of Threbe possesses infinite power, and can be bestowed upon anyone who may have their sights set upon it," she revealed calmly, although her green eyes began to darken as she continued on. "However, if its power were ever to be abused, who _knows_ what could occur? The possibilities are frighteningly endless. . . ."

"Hmm . . . then, do you think, in that case, that it's possible that the Star of Threbe could be with the Princess, Csilla?" Taranee deduced in inquiry, reaching up to readjust her eyeglasses.

Csilla paused a moment, and then slightly nodded once more.

". . . . I think that it might be safe to say that, once we would find either or, the other would not be far behind, yes, Taranee," she replied with another incline of her furry head. "Which is why it makes it that much more important to complete our mission successfully and _soon_. . . . However, by the same token, the awakening of all of you as Guardian Soldiers is not yet complete. . . . And for that to even occur, every last one of you needs to be assembled . . . and then, perhaps, as well, the seal upon the Princess shall be released. . . ."

Both Elyon and Taranee slowly gazed at one another upon hearing their mentor's essentially cryptic, as well as befuddling words, unsure of how to respond to that. Finally, after a few moments had passed, Taranee was the first to do so.

". . . . W-Wait, Csilla . . . when you say, 'awakening . . .' what do you mean by that, exactly?" she asked, almost breathlessly, both hers and Elyon's stomachs becoming knotted up in discomfort, due to their continually knowing so little about their shared duty, despite all that had been said thus far.

Csilla stopped pacing then, and gazed pensively upon each girl, before responding.

". . . . Your _memories_ . . . but that is all I shall say for now, I am sorry," she revealed a bit tensely, before awkwardly clearing her throat, and focusing her full attention onto Elyon, alone. ". . . . And, besides that, there is the matter of you and _your_ particular role, Elyon. . . . I know you often wonder why I appear to be rather coarse with you at times, yes? It is only because of the fact that you, as Sailormeridian, are the most important Guardian Soldier. . . ."

Elyon jumped within her spot at this, her cheeks growing flush with apprehension and confusion.

"W-Whoa, now! _Me?_ What makes _me_ so 'important?'" she asked in nervousness, darting her blue eyes from her animal charge, to Taranee, who seemed just as surprised as she was, and then back again.

". . . . Because, _you_ are everyone's _leader_ , Elyon. Finding our princess and the Star of Threbe is crucial, absolutely, but getting you to rapidly mature into the leader you are meant to be is what's most important right now, as it is the only thing we can actively achieve at this given moment . . . _presumably_ , anyway," Csilla spoke in seriousness initially, before lightly teasing the visibly worried and flabbergasted girl in attempts to soothe her mounting emotional ailments.

Elyon wrung her hands together, not taking, or perhaps not having even realized any bait had been set, in order to begin yet another round of usual arguments between the feline and herself, in regards to her supposed immaturity at times.

She instead looked upon Taranee, and smiled hopefully at her.

"Well, what about _you_ , Taranee? You're _perfect_ for the job, I think! I mean, after all, you're super smart and organized, and apparently great with handling responsibility! Meanwhile, _I'm_ pretty much primarily focused upon not screwing up my _GPA_ for this semester, already, while also only just slightly beginning to grow used to this whole Guardian business. I _cannot_ handle being the leader right now!" she reasoned as best that she could, although knowing deep down that it was rather futile to do so.

Especially since it didn't seem as though Csilla was about to change her mind about it any time soon, either.

Taranee smiled softly and, as of no surprise by now to the blonde seated next to her, began to blush profusely in abashment.

"Heh, heh! W-Well, I wouldn't go _that_ far. . . . B-Besides, Csilla seems to be pretty convinced that _you're_ best suited for the position," she said in gentle decline, before an idea had then come to her. "But . . . if you'd like, maybe I can help you study sometime . . . you know, as a way to help take the worry off of your grades. And then, perhaps in that way, it will be one less thing to contend with . . . while acting as our leader."

Elyon sighed loudly in defeat, slouching deeply in posture.

"Bleh . . . I kinda had a feeling you'd agree with Csilla, Taranee. . . . Although, I do appreciate the offer to tutor me, definitely - Thanks," she said with a growing smile of her own, slowly beginning to cheer up. "While I still say you're both _waaay_ wrong, and I don't like it . . . it's at least nice to know that there's _some_ kind of confidence backing me . . . even _if_ it isn't my own. . . . But, enough about me, though, seriously. I'd been meaning to ask you how _you've_ been, Taranee? I mean, how have you been holding up and handling all of this, honestly? Definitely out of this world kinda stuff, right?"

Taranee nodded lightly in agreement, the dark rouge flushing her cheeks now beginning to spread throughout the rest of her face.

"Yes, actually . . . but I honestly haven't had a whole great deal of time to actually sit down and truly think about - Not until now, anyhow. You know . . . because of my busy schedule and everything," she replied kindly and with a small smile, before slowly looking away from her growing acquaintance and down at the floor. She let out a tiny exhale, as her simper began to curiously fade away. "While I do still sort of feel as though none of this has even _happened_ . . . I guess you can say that, I've also sort of always felt as though I were meant for something far greater than what my life currently has planned for me . . . _especially_ because of what I can do. . . ."

". . . . You mean because of what you now can do as Sailormars?" Elyon asked softly, sensing the other girl's growing discomfort. "I feel the exact the same way, myself, as Sailormeridian. I mean, I -"

"- No, no . . . it isn't that, although that certainly is something. No . . . I was referring to the fact that . . . for as long as I can remember, I've always had these . . . strange, psychic, sort of abilities. . . ." Taranee meekly revealed, keeping her eyes downcast at all costs, while slightly pivoting her body away from both the blonde and the feline seated before her, out of fear of judgment.

She heard Elyon and Csilla simultaneously gasp in surprise, which caused her to lightly cringe with dread.

". . . . Wow . . . are you serious? Like, no fooling? Does that mean you can read my mind and listen to my thoughts right now? Oooh, how kinda _spooky!_ " Elyon said within flabbergast and widened eyes, before immediately covering her mouth a moment. "Oh! S-Sorry, Taranee. . . . I didn't mean it like that, like what you apparently can do is bad or wrong or anything. I can see that telling us this is obviously really hard for you . . . but I'm glad you are. Right, Csilla?"

Csilla, meanwhile, only offered a slow nod in response, as her brows became deeply furrowed in silent pondering over the news. Taranee slowly turned back around in her seat, and chanced a look toward the dishwater blonde, albeit awkwardly.

". . . . You . . . you are? I'm not honestly used to this, or was prepared for what you may think or say - Good or bad - as I've never told anyone about my . . . 'gift' before. Not even my family. . . ." she murmured ever so quietly, making Elyon have to lean towards her a bit more in order to hear. "I . . . I've just always been afraid of what everyone would think if they knew . . . that they'd treat me differently, as though I'm not even _human_ , or something, or even accuse me of using my abilities as a way to succeed academically - W-Which I _don't_ , of course! W-Well . . . I don't _think_ , at least. . . .

You see, I can't really control what I can do, even though I've been able to do it for years. It just . . . sort of _happens_ , and then goes away just as swiftly. . . . I will be minding my own business, either in class or dance, or what have you, and then suddenly my mind will be filled with thoughts, and sometimes feelings, which I know for certain are not my own. . . . Which is probably another reason why I study and concentrate so hard, because it can be rather distracting to my _own_ thoughts to suddenly hear _others_ mixing in within my mind while out in public. . . .

I . . . also can sometimes . . . _sense_ things, as well. Sort of like premonitions, but not really. . . . That is, like the other day, for example, before I'd met the both of you, I just had this . . . feeling of _dread_ and negativity for nearly that entire day before going to Madame Isadora's - Who, by the way, is just fine, now, but doesn't seem to recall anything that had happened to her . . . and neither do her other, previously abducted students. . . . Sadly, though, their _families_ do, or, at least, obviously know that they'd gone missing after attending their lesson, and so now the police are conducting an investigation . . . although, they - And _I_ , of course - already doubt they'll find anything suspicious, I'd heard. It's just unfortunate that Madame is going through _more_ grief, and can't even understand _why_ . . . and the fact that her studio will be temporarily closed until the investigations are complete, which means I can't continue dancing until then. Something I _truly_ enjoy. . . ."

Taranee trailed off for a moment, sighing lightly and looking down at her hands with a faraway and slightly forlorn expression, while Elyon and Csilla continued to gaze upon her. Elyon then rested both of her cool hands over the other girl's own, and gently squeezed them in comfort.

"I'm . . . really sorry for your teacher, Taranee - Especially when none of it was even her fault. I wish we could just go and tell her _and_ the police everything that'd really happened . . . although, I doubt they'd believe us even if we could," she began with a faint smile forming upon her peaches and cream countenance. "And, I'm _extra_ sorry that you can't go to your dance lessons until everything's all settled again. You apparently seem to really treasure it. . . . But, in the meantime, you can always do like _I_ do, and just dance around your bedroom like an idiot, with the music blasted up. Heh, heh. . . .

Although, in _your_ case, it wouldn't be idiotic at all, because you're so greatly talented - _Including_ within the supernatural, too, apparently! I personally think that that's really something, what you can do with that fantastic mind of yours, Taranee, really - Both academically, as _well_ as psychically. It's really no wonder you're a Guardian Soldier . . . and I'm gonna have to say _yet_ again, so we're clear, how really glad I am that you are. And, who knows? Now that you _are_ one, maybe the magic powers or whatever it is you now have as Sailormars will help you to earn better control over your gift! Don't worry, though, okay?"

Taranee abruptly looked up in surprise at the blue eyed girl a moment, before genuinely smiling back at her in appreciation.

". . . . Thank you," she said softly, awkwardly releasing her hands from Elyon's grasp, in order to just as awkwardly play with the tip of her onyx hued French braid.

"You know . . . now that I think on it . . . I am actually not at all surprised by this . . . what you're able to do, Taranee," Csilla suddenly and finally spoke, in quiet mystery, as she watched her two pupils curiously gaze upon her, thereafter. As though realizing a mistake she had made, the fluffy feline swiftly shook her blue-grayish head and softly chuckled. "E-Eh, that is - Never mind, never mind! N-Now, then! Shall we move onto the _real_ reason I've brought you both here?"

Although both teenagers had wanted to comment and venture a query in regards to the animal's bizarre behavior and what she had meant, neither did so, as they were beginning to become quite aware of how the tiny cat most often favored being mum.

And so, with merely a small nod in compliance, both girls remained silent as Csilla gave a slight breath of relief before continuing.

"Good, then. . . . As you may or may not know, Taranee, the Princess of Marsily is to be arriving in Heatherfield this weekend, and will be holding a grand ball in her honor, as well as to unveil her royal family's prized treasure," she began, growing serious once more.

Taranee nodded in understanding.

"Yes I do, actually. Some of my schoolmates and their families are going in attendance, due to the fact that they apparently run within fairly similar circles as Princess Étaín, as it were, and thus, were invited," she noted, lightly folding her arms across her chest in thought.

Elyon began to pout, as vague depression upon the matter began to set in once more.

" _Ugh_ , don't remind me you guys, seriously. It's bad enough that I can't go, myself, but now I'd just found out from my friend, Alchemy, that she and her family are going on Saturday, themselves! If only my father or mother were big shot jewelers, instead of an astronomer and art curator, then I'd be able to go, too, for sure. . . ." she grumbled in chagrin, before leaning forward to rest her chin upon her right and lightly balled up fist.

Csilla smiled softly in sympathy at this, before gently climbing into her charge's lap, and softly began to purr.

"Well, you're in luck, Elyon, because I just so happen to believe that this entire event is well worth investigating as Guardian Soldiers," she revealed, lightly tapping her tail against the girl's covered thigh. "Of course, this is to be taken quite seriously, understood? For, the Princess's treasure could very well be the mystical Star of Threbe. . . ."

"True, now that you mention it, Csilla. . . . Although, maybe the Princess, herself, could also be the one we're looking for, as well," Taranee thoughtfully pointed out, at the same time that Elyon began to laugh with renewed joy. "And if it is, how will we know for sure?"

" _I'll_ know, Taranee, once I meet her - And so will she, or _should_ , at least. I am _hoping_ , anyhow. It will simply be a strong and undeniable feeling, I'm sure," the feline replied, while her blonde charge continued on within her tittering. "Elyon, will you _please_ keep it down? We are trying to talk about something you should still be listening to!"

Elyon blushed softly at this, before shaking her head and promptly standing from her seat, causing Csilla to hurriedly jump onto the floor from her lap in the process.

"Sorry! I'm just really excited that I'll get to go to the ball, after all, even _if_ it's all for _business_ , and no pleasure . . . _maybe_ ," she apologized with a grin, before gathering her belongings, presumably to leave. "Finally, it's a mission I can sink my teeth into!"

"But, w-wait a minute! Where are you going?" Csilla asked in confusion, both she and Taranee watching the other girl drape her book bag upon her back, and slightly wrinkling the beautiful convertible dress she still wore. " _And_ still looking the way you do? What will your parents say once they see you? Change yourself back, this _instant!_ "

Elyon groaned, pausing a moment to do as she was told and closed her eyes. After a mere fleeting seconds, her former school attire of her tank top and shorts had then reappeared within the brief, although thick manifestation of white and sparkling light.

Waiting until it had completely vanished once more, Elyon then let out a sigh as she reopened her blue eyes and stared at the now relieved feline.

"There! _Happy_ , now, Drill Sergeant? Back to my boring, ol' self," she muttered with a small grimace, as she lightly manhandled her returned, messy pigtails. "But, it doesn't matter, I suppose, because I'm heading to the mall now, to go shopping for the perfect dress! I think I have just enough to do so, too! Ya wanna come with, Taranee? After all, you _are_ going to the ball, as well, now."

Taranee looked a bit taken aback for a few moments, as though surprised at the other girl's welcoming invitation. She hesitated for a moment, before meekly nodding in acceptance, and gathered her own belongings. Although the mall wasn't honestly one of her favorite places to journey to, primarily due to its numerous shoppers (and most of which were quite usually some of her fellow schoolmates), she would go _now_ , as she was simply pleased to have been invited by the traditionally happy young blonde.

And so, before Csilla could say another word, both girls were already rushing out of their brand new and secret Guardian Soldier headquarters, and back into the golden elevator which would take them up and out of the Musical Star Café.

". . . . Of course, you could just always use your _gPhones_ \- In the same you had not too long ago, and somehow _already_ seemed to have forgotten all about - in order to acquire a dress, instead," the cat mumbled underneath her breath to herself in defeat, before quickly jogging into the already closing elevator.

* * *

"What do you think about this one, Taranee? Or . . . ooh! How about _this_ one, this yellow one? It'll bring out my hair, don't you think? Oh, my God! My _hair!_ How should I wear it? Up, or down? Maybe, curly? Nah, that'll make me look like a _Poodle_ , or something . . . so then, maybe _wavy_ , instead!"

Taranee did her best to listen to all of what Elyon was currently saying, in addition to everything else she had been gushing, similar to this, for the last half an hour or so since they'd first arrived at the Heatherfield Plaza Mall. Csilla had opted, admittedly a bit too eagerly, to return to Elyon's house and wait for her there, while continuing to do further research about their overall mission.

And as enjoyable as it was becoming to continue hanging out with the bubbly blonde, Taranee was starting to wish that she could have joined Csilla, as well, rather than have come along upon this particular outing. The duo had gone to about six different clothing stores, trying to find "just the right outfit; something that will really _pop_ and stand out," as Elyon had put it, and within every one, the dark haired intellect had felt dreadfully out of place.

She had to silently thank the heavens that her psychic abilities hadn't decided to flare up thus far, where she would have unfortunately have to listen in upon the thoughts of the random and fellow teenagers both she and Elyon had seen in passing.

Most of them, Taranee admittedly did not recognize when she'd chanced a glance their way, however she was almost certain they were at least aware of her, especially due to her still wearing her academy uniform, in addition to the sour expressions that followed.

Still, she was trying her absolute best to remain at least slightly supportive, if nothing more, to Elyon and her obvious delight for now being able to attend the Princess of Marsily's honorable ball.

_I just wish that she could hurry up and choose something, so we could finally get out of here_ , Taranee thought in growing anxiety, after having only managed a brief, small nod in acknowledgment to the shorter girl's ongoing babbling next to her.

At last bothering to take better notice of her new friend's growing discomfort, Elyon stopped sifting through the gown rack before her, and raised a concerned eyebrow at her.

". . . . Are you all right, Taranee? You haven't even bothered to look for something for yourself the entire time we've been at the mall. I sort of feel like you're merely tagging along, while I drag you around from store to store - I'm sorry," she commented, dropping her hands away from the clothing rack and then back to her sides. She then flashed a sympathetic smile towards the taken aback teenager. "I'd almost forgotten how shy you can be, so coming here like this, especially on such short notice, must be a bit overwhelming. But, listen: I can be very, _very_ shy myself, sometimes, and get uncomfortable pretty easily over certain matters. So, I understand how you feel, perfectly. But you and I are friends, now, so I'll _always_ have your back, okay? No, worries! Now, what do you say we quit while we're ahead, and I buy you an almond pretzel upstairs at 'Mommy Annabelle's?' We can just flip through some magazines later for our ball gowns, and use our gPhones, anyway, I just remembered."

Taranee breathed a small, but noticeable sigh in relief at this, smiling back at the now grinning Elyon in appreciation, as well as within slight guilt for inadvertently causing an early end to their impromptu and almost shopping spree.

". . . . Thank you, Miss Brown . . . t-that'd be nice of you," she said with a tiny nod, before immediately tensing up upon realizing she had referred to the other girl as "Miss Brown," yet again. She promptly held in her breath, waiting to listen to Elyon complain in affect once more about it. However, she did nothing of the sort, this time, and merely gave a shrug and continued to smile before turning to leave the store . . . although, Taranee had been able to quickly catch sight of the slight falter of her simper, as well as seeing a faint damper of her normally bright blue eyes, as though in sadness.

While Taranee began to secretly worry about this, Elyon, however, promptly moved on and into another brand new conversation as they exited the clothing store, her voice continually happy as before.

"So! Uh . . . now that Csilla's not around to bombard us with boring and intense Guardian junk, why don't you tell me more about yourself," she began with another grin, leading the way towards the nearest escalator to take the pair to the upper levels of the crowded shopping mall. "You know, hobbies, family and friends . . . that sorta stuff."

Taranee blushed lightly at having the proverbial spotlight returned upon her so soon, and thought for a moment before responding.

". . . . Well, my mother, Theresa, is a judge, and my father, Lionel is, or _was_ , rather, a lawyer, before having become a psychologist," she began timidly, readjusting her dark framed eyeglasses unconsciously as the two continued to walk together. "And I only have one sibling, my older brother, Peter, as you already know. . . . As for hobbies, well, I'm usually so busy I'm honestly surprised I have any, really. But . . . besides dancing being my absolute passion, yes . . . I do enjoy photography and basketball, mathematics and listening to classical music as I'd passed mentioned to earlier, and then . . . like you'd also found out earlier, Cornelia Hale's albums. . . ."

She'd strategically avoided answering Elyon's other inquiry about the presumed friends she possessed, feeling it being far too embarrassing and personal for now to open up about quite yet . . . especially since it seemed most probable that the blonde, herself, had too many to even count, due to her generally jovial disposition.

Elyon did not seem to have realized Taranee's omission, however, as she merely nodded her head in understanding, before suddenly swooning happily.

"Oh, wow, that's right! _Cornelia!_ I wonder if _she'll_ be coming to the ball on Saturday, too! She _is_ an international celebrity, after all, and I'm sure that even Princess Étaín listens to her music, like, _all_ the time, probably," she said excitedly, clasping her hands together as the two continued walking through the mall at a slow, but increasingly comfortable pace as the seconds continued to pass.

Taranee surprisingly shook her French braided head at this, however.

"No . . . I doubt Cornelia _would_ be there, though, since she's currently in Berlin, Germany, busy promoting her newly created perfume, ' _V_ ,'" she revealed without thinking once more, before chuckling softly in slight embarrassment upon catching Elyon's simultaneous impressed and startled expression next to her.

"Well, _boy_ , Taranee. There really isn't anything you're _not_ good at; you even worship a celebrity expertly, as well," the blonde lightly teased with a wink, as they were then approaching a corner. "Even _I_ didn't know that - Yet again, I might add. I think I'll just go to _you_ for any of the latest Cornelia Hale news and updates, from now on. Not even _Alchemy_ knows _that_ much about her, either."

Taranee gave a slight grimace upon hearing the unknown girl's name once more, and was surprised to realize that she had done so. Was this . . . _jealousy_ she was feeling?

_That isn't right of me to feel, though. Of course someone like Miss Brown would have more than one friend besides myself - More friends than I, period. So, then . . . why am I feeling so . . ._ _threatened_ _by this girl, almost, all of a sudden? And so soon, already, when I've only just met Miss Brown several days ago?_ she pondered to herself in silence, her insides churning with discomfort as she tried her very best to quell the disturbing sensations.

Clearing her throat awkwardly, Taranee thought she should then have _her_ turn in asking a few questions of her own, about the blonde walking beside her.

"Um . . . you mind if I asked how long you've known this Alchemy?" she ventured in inquiry, biting at her insides in order to ignore the further pangs of mild jealousy continuing to swirl within her.

Elyon shook her head, traditionally erratic pigtails swinging gaily to and fro in the process.

"Nope, not at all! Anyway, me and Alkie - That's what I sometimes call her, by the way - go _way_ back, since elementary school, in fact," she began in reply, a nostalgic smile playing about her lips. "We tell each other _everything_ , and do everything together - Well, except for all this Guardian Soldier stuff. Can't exactly tell her about _that_ , now can I? But, that's why it's so cool that _you're_ around now, Taranee!"

Taranee's heart sank at this, feeling worse than before.

_So . . ._ _that_ _is the only, main reason she's being so friendly with me . . . only because she can't go running off to tell her Alchemy about everything we have to do now as Guardians_. _She probably just doesn't want to hurt my feelings, otherwise_ , she thought deplorably with a forced smile at the beaming girl beside her.

What else _could_ the true solution be, after all?

The girls then rounded the corner, while Elyon, blissfully unaware of Taranee's continual dismay, continued to unintentionally brag about her near sister-like bond between her dear friend and herself . . . until she'd suddenly barreled into an oncoming individual heading within the other direction.

"Ow! S-Sorry about . . . oh, God, it's _you!"_ both Elyon and the unidentified individual (at least to Taranee, anyhow) said in aggravated unison, their eyes widened in alarm.

"For the _love_ of Pete, will there _ever_ be a time when you _won't_ be plowing into me every time we see one another, Piggy Tails?" asked the tall and slim, tan and slightly muscular brunet with a growing, condescending smirk and twinkling green eyes, as Taranee silently observed him in vague perplexity.

Meanwhile, Elyon's previously pleasant and jubilant demeanor instantly shifted, as her face grew red with great anger.

" _Excuse_ me? Will there ever be a time when I won't ever have to see your _extremely_ irritating face, _or_ listen to your equally irritating _voice_ \- Especially when you keep freaking calling me 'Piggy Tails,' Caleb!" she fired back in choler, passersby briefly looking at the unfolding scene.

Caleb merely chuckled at this, as though it happened to be one of the funniest things he had ever heard.

"Ha! _Sure_ , then! I'm impressed that you've seemed to remember _my_ name, though - Bravo! Guess you're _not_ as dense as I'd thought, then," the older looking teenager remarked in jovial insult, waving a hand in blatant dismissal at the boiling blonde standing before him. He then suddenly turned his attention onto Taranee, and smiled with surprising kindness. " _You_ , on the other hand, apparently attend that Vesta's Academy for Girls, judging by your school uniform, and therefore possess _surpassing_ intelligence than _Piggy Tails_ , here. I'd highly suggest, then, that you save yourself the aggravation, and _dump_ her the moment you get the chance!"

And with that, the overly rude young man abruptly maneuvered around both girls, and continued on his way, whistling a happy tune as though nothing had even happened.

" _Argh!_ Can you _believe_ that guy? Super, _fantastically_ , and utterly _disgusting_ , I kid you not!" Elyon growled in continued ire, whirling around to watch the steadily retreating brunet for a few moments, before looking upon Taranee and silently beckoning for sympathy.

Taranee could only smile faintly, still completely unsure of what had just unfolded before her.

"U-Um . . . I take it _he_ isn't another friend of yours, then?" she ventured a guess, despite already knowing the clear cut answer.

Elyon gasped sharply in alarm, blue eyes practically popping out of her head.

"Oh, my _Lord_ , no! Absolutely _not_ , would that jerk _ever_ be anything but a monstrous _douche_ _bag_ in my eyes! Argh, now I _really_ need that almond pretzel," she snapped in offense, turning on her heel and continuing on towards the pair of ascending and descending escalators within the near distance.

Taranee then silently followed, her confusion still present, however becoming ignored, as she saw that the other girl clearly did not wish to elaborate.

Meanwhile, as he approached the mall's exit, Caleb's mind promptly shifted away from the rather unpleasant girl which was Elyon, and onto far more important matters.

_. . . . The Star of Threbe . . . I_ _have_ _to find it at all costs. . . . I wonder if the mystical treasure that that princess, Princess Étaín of Marsily, plans to unveil at her ball this Saturday could be it. . . . Only one way to find out_ , he thought pensively to himself, just as he'd reached one of the exit doors and pushed it open to vacate the building in order to head home.

"Ah! Thank God the line doesn't seem to be long today, for a change! I need like, _three_ pretzels, after unfortunately having run into that little _gremlin_ , only for the _umpteenth_ time now," Elyon muttered to Taranee once the two had gotten off of the escalator, now within the food court area, and the blonde had looked in the near distance towards their intended destination. "I don't know if you've ever had a 'Mommy Annabelle's' pretzel, Taranee, but they're to _die_ for! Come on!"

With a small smile, Taranee once again remained silent and nodded, watching Elyon slowly return the simper, as her previously good mood was beginning to resurface. The two walked towards the relatively short line in front of the white colored pretzel stand, and its neon blue lettered sign, within an admittedly comfortable silence for a few moments . . . until Elyon suddenly let out a sharp gasp of alarm.

"H-Hey! _Look_ , Taranee! It's _Alchemy!_ Right there, the rust haired girl with the pixie cut, standing at the very back of the line . . . also with _another_ pair of friends of mine, Courtney and Bess Grumper, too! This is great! Now you can _all_ meet!" she informed excitedly, already rushing on ahead of the now apprehensive intellect to meet her other set of comrades.

And suddenly, Taranee no longer felt quite as hungry as before. . . .

She watched with awkward eyes, from where she continued to stand, as Elyon began to talk animatedly with the trio of unknown girls, making hand motions within her direction as she did so. The two identical redheads standing next to the one who was apparently Alchemy began to whisper heatedly to one another, and stared at Taranee with narrowed eyes.

It had taken just about all of the girl's resolve to finally unglue her feet from the smooth, polished floor of the busy food court, and make her way over the gaily chatting, pigtailed girl.

"Oh! Taranee! So, okay! These are the usually gossipy, but friendly - When they _try_ , anyway, heh, heh - Grumper Twins, Courtney and Bess, as I'd just said before; and _this_ is Alchemy Selwyn, my absolutely _fabulous_ best friend in the whole world!" Elyon spoke once she'd seen Taranee slowly approach, before moving to her side and gently seized one of her arms with both of her hands. "And this, girls, is the awesomely talented and _super_ smart Taranee Cook! I'm telling you, you guys! There's apparently like, absolutely _nothing_ this girl can't do!"

". . . . Yeah, except maybe make more _friends_ ," Courtney murmured underneath her breath, while her twin sister, Bess, lightly snickered to herself as a result. Apparently, neither Elyon nor Alchemy seemed to have heard this, as both continued to gaze at Taranee with smiles still upon each of their faces.

Taranee, however, had heard every word, and immediately felt sick to her stomach, greatly offended and wishing she could simply vanish into the floor right at that very moment.

Alchemy, meanwhile, began to secretly feel the unsettling consternation she had been experiencing earlier that day after school, once more. So, _this_ was why Elyon had presumably stood her up, as she had been beginning to think after having been waiting nearly an hour for the blonde to show up at the mall.

_Because she was apparently too busy having so much fun hanging out with this Taranee girl, instead?_ she thought to herself in worry and growing jealousy. _Look at them, already so chummy and close. . . . Elyon called_ _me_ _her best friend just now, sure . . . but does she still mean it and honestly feel that way?_

With a purposefully loud clearing of her throat, Alchemy successfully drew the blonde's attention, and struggled to maintain the smile upon her milky complexion, which was now beginning to falter.

". . . . It's nice to meet you, Taranee; Elyon's been talking about you - _A lot_ , actually," she said with emphasis upon her final word, some of her uncontrolled envy leaking through, momentarily. She then looked at Elyon before speaking once more. "So . . . I take it you'd forgotten all about how you said you were going to meet me here, after you'd finished being with Taranee, to help me pick out a gown for Princess Étaín's ball on Saturday?"

Elyon's mouth immediately fell open in alarm at this, promptly releasing Taranee's arm in order to move back over to her evidently hurt friend. Her face scrunched up slightly, with guilt flooding over it, as she began to apologize.

"Oh, gee, I'm _sooo_ sorry, Alkie! I honestly _did_ forget! I suppose we'd just lost track of the time while hanging out, right Taranee? Yeah, and then . . . I'd invited her to come to 'Mommy Annabelle's' for an almond pretzel, and I _still_ hadn't even remembered I was supposed to be here at the mall, anyway," she explained as best she could, considering she could not very well reveal what both she and Taranee had been doing the entire time prior to arriving.

Taranee, beginning to sense the reservations and unease effortlessly emitting from Elyon's friends, as they continued to stare at her with dissecting eyes, abruptly coughed in order to seize the dishwater blonde's attention.

". . . . Y-You know, I honestly hadn't seen how late it is, now, Miss Brown. I'm afraid I have to go, because it's my turn to help my mother cook dinner at home. Having a pretzel now would most likely spoil my appetite, anyhow," she said as believably as she could to the now surprised and puzzled girl, before then turning her attention onto her friends. ". . . . I-It was nice meeting you all . . . goodbye."

And with that, the raven haired girl swiftly turned on her heel, and retreated at a fast pace, back towards the escalators.

Stunned at the sudden change of events, Elyon began to call after Taranee, when Bess interrupted her with a sharp guffaw.

"' _Miss Brown?_ ' What is she, like, _eighty-years-old_ , or something? I heard she was your tutor or whatever now, Elle, but I didn't think she'd take the role _so_ seriously! 'Miss Brown!' _Ha!_ What a _weirdo!_ " she cried with condescending glee, her slightly older sister joining in.

And even though she knew it was mean-spirited and wrong, Alchemy silently wished she could have done the same then, as well. However, she kept silent as she watched Elyon's formerly worried expression for the now vanished Taranee, crumble into an unappreciated scowl towards the tittering teens.

"Just _stop_ it, you guys! That's very mean! You don't even _know_ her!" she defended heatedly, folding her arms across her chest in furthered disapproval.

". . . . And you _do_ , Elyon?" Alchemy suddenly heard herself ask, a bit too flatly, before she could stop herself, instantly regretting it once she caught sight of the stunned shock suffusing onto her best friend's face.

"W-What? Not you too, Alchemy. . . . Weren't you defending Taranee's character just a few days ago, yourself? What's changed?" she queried with a gasp, slightly backing away from the russet haired girl.

Alchemy bit back a sigh as she moved out of the decreasing line to the popular pretzel stand, and closer to the visibly hurt blonde.

" _N-Nothing's_ changed, Ellie, and it isn't what I meant - Nothing _mean_ , I mean," she tried to explain, partially withholding the truth as she did so. ". . . . It's just that, you seriously only have known this girl for just a couple of days, apparently, but you're already acting as though you know her inside-out. I've just . . . never really seen you get so attached to anyone so quickly like this, before, that's all. . . ."

Elyon lightly frowned.

"Well, what's wrong with that, if I am, though, Alchemy? I happen to find Taranee very interesting, with a lot more to her than meets the eye - And _you_ guys would see that, too, if you'd just give her a chance," she responded a bit tiredly, the various activities of a rather long day suddenly catching up to her. "Anyway . . . _I'd_ better get going, myself, though - I don't want to push my luck with my folks by staying out _too_ late on a school day, after only just having gotten off of punishment. I'll see you all tomorrow. . . ."

Elyon turned to leave, as well, slight sadness and disappointment shining forth within her otherwise brilliant blue eyes, when Alchemy quickly reached out to stop her.

"N-No, _wait!_ Elle, seriously, I'm sorry - _Honestly_. If . . . if _you_ say she's really cool, then . . . I believe you," she apologized with a small, but growing and genuine smile. "Now, please . . . stay a little while longer with us, all right? Have that almond pretzel you wanted and chat, and then maybe you can help me decide between the two different and _really_ gorgeous gowns I had seen inside of 'Fashion Kaboodle,' before heading here for a quick snack break. . . . What do you say?"

Elyon watched as all three of her good friends smiled hopefully at her, each of them nodding lightly in beckoning. And although continued shopping did sound a tad enticing, she just wasn't up to it, any longer.

And so, with a small, apologetic shake of her head in decline, she managed to return a faint simper of her own before responding.

". . . . Thanks, you guys. But I should probably quit while I'm ahead, really. I'll e-mail you later tonight, and you can send back a picture of the gown you ultimately choose, all right? See you," she said with a forced grin, waving goodbye to the trio of female teenagers, before making her own way towards the escalators to then leave the mall.

". . . . 'Bye," Alchemy murmured softly in response, her heart sinking as she watched her obviously hurt friend retreat.

What had she done?

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me this was a _masquerade_ ball, Csilla? Now, I'm probably the _only_ one in here without a mask!" Elyon discreetly hissed at the tiny cat currently hiding carefully within her decently sized and white colored handbag, as the two entered into the grand ballroom that Saturday evening.

It was true.

The Marsilian embassy , with its lavish, white and gold decorated, specially used ballroom was rapidly filling up with a generous plethora of guests, honored and otherwise, and of various ethnicities. And despite each being adorned within assorted tuxedos and very elegant gowns of many different colors, all held one common trait:

Each guest, male and female, were sporting their own masquerade masks, either secured upon or held up against their faces with an attached stick.

Elyon heard Csilla sigh gruffly from within the handbag, before quietly responding.

"Well, I'm not the Princess's right-hand cat, Elyon! It isn't as though I could have known absolutely _every_ detail about her ball!" she muttered in reply, voice slightly muffled and dampened by the live orchestrated waltz music currently wafting throughout the ballroom. "You should be _thanking_ me, anyway, since I was able to just barely convince that man outside that you were on the list! Now, let's go and find Taranee before we investi -"

"- Hello, Miss Brown . . . it looks as though you could use this," both Elyon and the cloaked Csilla could suddenly hear the girl in question say softly from behind them.

Turning around to face the girl she hadn't seen since their awkward parting that past Wednesday, she was now an absolute vision of supreme loveliness, causing Elyon to gasp in the process as she took in the sight. A deep red, full, tulle ball gown elegantly adorned Taranee's naturally slim and fit dancer's physique, with a sparkling, white beaded and v-notched, strapless bodice and corset tieback closure wrapped around her chest. Tucked into the pick-ups of the bottom half of her flowing skirt were more shimmering beads, with a flounced hemline.

A matching, lightly see through bolero jacket modestly, although quite flatteringly, concealed Taranee's smooth back, while the tendrils of her free and now slightly wavy onyx tinted locks delicately cascaded over her right shoulder. The rest of her hair, however, was swept up into a beautiful updo, creating the same sort of _half_ updo style that Elyon, herself, had earned from her premiere disguise transformation, courtesy of her new gPhone.

Taranee's visage (which was surprisingly glasses-free) was something to behold separately, as well, as autumn cherry tinted lipgloss painted her naturally pouty lips, while faint but noticeable dark eyeliner aligned her stunning brown eyes, causing them to pop out even more. And her mocha colored cheeks looked positively radiant, now that an Indian red hued blush faintly illuminated them . . . although that could have very well been of her own doing, Elyon briefly surmised, due to the multitude of times the other girl's cheeks would grow red by nature in the past.

Regardless, the traditionally reserved young teenager was currently nothing short of _breathtaking_.

". . . . _Wow_ , Taranee! _Look_ at you! You look so _beautiful!_ " Elyon gushed in exuberated awe, at the same time that Csilla slowly poked her grayish head out of her handbag in order to see for herself. "Who knew you had such fantastic _fashion sense_ , as well? Aren't our gPhones _great_ for times like these?"

Taranee smiled softly back at her and nervously rubbed at her bare arm with one free hand, while the other held onto two masquerade masks on a stick, one red in color, and the other, powder blue.

"Heh, heh . . . t-thank you for the compliment. . . . I actually had a bit of difficulty deciding upon which disguise I should wear, while searching through various magazines and even online, eventually. I'd wanted it to be appropriate, of course, but also didn't honestly want it to be so . . . 'eye-catching,' although I suppose it isn't the case anymore, based upon your particular reaction. . . . _A-Anyway_ , here. This one is for you," she timidly said in reply, before slowly handing the blue mask to Elyon. "Oh . . . and by the way . . . _you_ look rather becoming, yourself. . . ."

It was then Elyon's turn to grow embarrassed as she heard this, lightly seizing the masquerade mask which conveniently now matched the gown she was currently wearing. Aqua in color, with a sweetheart neckline, fitted bodice and a long and full tulle skirt, it was also strategically sprinkled with small beads, silvery in color.

Her dishwater blonde hair was this time fashioned into a loose, but quite appealing and wavy updo, with a few strands tickling at her bare neck, while two strategically placed bangs gently fell upon either side of her peaches and cream countenance.

Elyon, as well, sported light makeup, consisting of faintly applied eye shadow, while soft rose hued lipgloss caressed her lips, causing them to glisten against the bright lights of the hanging chandeliers above her. And now, in her hand, was her brand new mask, which was intricately designed with handcrafted beads upon its face; a tiny cluster of frilly-like star shapes decorated the right side, with two thin ribbons gently streaming down underneath it and just above the blue and black striped stick she held onto.

With a tiny, happy giggle, Elyon raised the masquerade mask and held it against her face with her right hand, while her left arm continued to cradle the vaguely heavy handbag which had Csilla encased.

"Thanks for the compliment, Taranee! I'd taken this gown from a commercial I saw in passing just _yesterday_ , actually, heh, heh. It was a good thing most of it was filmed in slow motion for _some_ reason, and I had my gPhone already with me, or else I'd have _never_ been able to get a good shot," she explained gaily, lightly blinking from behind her decorated mask. "What do you think? Does the mask you gave me go with my overall attire? And, how did _you_ know to bring one, anyway, or that I'd be wearing something blue?"

Taranee gave a small shrug at this and smiled gently, before raising her own identical mask, if not in color, up to her visage.

"I'd found out that it was a masquerade ball the other day, myself, but since I don't have your phone number, I didn't have any way of contacting you to let you know. And as for the color, I was originally going to bring you a black one to be on the safe side, but then . . . something just told me to take a _blue_ one, instead," she explained over the continued classical music, reaching out to lightly pet Csilla's head which still vaguely poked out from out of Elyon's handbag.

"Perhaps it was your natural psychic abilities which had granted you such a precognitive sensation, then, Taranee," the feline murmured with a small detection of pride, and smiled up at the now blushing girl, before beginning to softly purr at the continued stroking of her furry head. "I have to ask, though: How did you manage to get inside without an invitation, or my help?"

Taranee lightly smiled.

"Oh. Well . . . more of the guests seem to be arriving in _droves_ now outside, that you're liable to become unnoticed, so I just sort of . . . snuck in," she admitted with a small smirk, causing both Elyon and Csilla to chuckle.

"Well, that's certainly _one_ way to do it, I suppose. No matter, as long as we're all together inside," the feline spoke with a lingering smile, before looking about her surroundings. "Now that we _are_ , we don't we begin our investigation, hmm? I suggest we should split up, though, in order to gain more ground in less time. Taranee, you can take the left side of the ballroom and see if you can't find the Princess or her treasure anywhere, and then Elyon and I shall do the same on this side. If any of us come up with anything, we can contact one another through the gPhones, all right?"

Elyon curiously shook her head in apparent disagreement at this, keeping her mask carefully placed against it as she did so.

"Nuh uh! _You_ can go with Taranee and investigate! First, _I'm_ going to head over to the refreshment table I see in the distance, there, and grab a snack or two before scoping the place out - I didn't get to eat dinner before coming here, remember, so I'm _starved!_ " she said with a sigh, before abruptly handing over her handbag, which continued to hold the now flabbergasted cat to a slightly taken aback Taranee. "See you guys later, then!"

Elyon then scampered off, effortlessly being swallowed up by the sea of well attired guests, before either leftover female could say a word.

Csilla let out a low exhale in defeat, before looking up at the masked Taranee, who continued to look straight ahead towards the direction the blonde had vanished into.

". . . . Well, let's get going, then, and hope that she actually does her part of the job, and doesn't get distracted by anything 'shiny,' 'tasty,' _or_ 'handsome,'" she faintly teased in reflection, before ducking her head back into the white handbag for better covering once more.

With a small nod, Taranee took a deep breath in slight bravery to face the increasingly vast crowd alone (for the most part, at least), and began walking within the other direction of her newfound comrade.

* * *

"Mmm, this food is really _great!_ Especially the little pastries," Elyon murmured to herself in between bites of the various treats she'd placed upon the intricately designed and gold encrusted plate she held within one hand, after having temporarily set down her mask in order to do so. "It's a good thing everything is so tasty at all, or else I'd still be hungry, _and_ have nothing to do, since I haven't been able to see the Princess _or_ her mystical treasure anywhere, yet. . . ."

It was true. Elyon had been in attendance to Princess Étaín's grand ball for nearly half an hour now, and during that time, she had been quite dutiful within her intended mission; however, with the exception of finding the majority of the various edible dishes being offered to be quite delicious, she had so far been unable to find anything else.

_Including even a_ _dance partner_ _, like my wonderful Cedric, if_ _he_ _could be here, as well_ , she silently added as a furthered thought with a small sigh, after having finished off the last piece of puff pastry, as well as the unique tasting and rolled up chocolate covered orange peel, which she had been told by a random passerby that it was the country of Marsily's specialty and favorite treat. She continued to stare off into the vast crowd from where she stood, alone, at the elongated and seemingly endless buffet table, and watched with forlorn eyes as the female guests and their respected male partners happily twirled around upon the dance floor. _I know that I'm only here to find out more about the Princess and her royal family treasure . . . but it would still be nice to go out there and dance for a little while . . . just so I can say that, for_ _once_ _in my life, I truly felt like a princess, living within a real life fairytale. . . ._

Making the resolution to simply suck it up and carry on within her investigation, Elyon begrudgingly turned to set down her empty, golden plate back onto the fancily decorated table, before replacing her masquerade mask against her face.

When she'd turned back around, she unexpectedly found herself bumping into another, also female, who was apparently making her own way towards the assorted dishes to partake in.

"O-Oh! I'm sorry! Excuse me, please," the dishwater blonde said hurriedly in embarrassed apology, lightly bowing her head in shyness before gasping softly in surprise at what she saw from behind her mask.

_Alchemy_ _? Is that her? It's gotta be, since that's the same exact ball gown she'd finally chosen and showed me the other day in e-mail_ , she silently reflected, gazing in awe upon the dazzling copper haired young woman before her.

A silver and black colored masquerade mask freely covered her peachy complexion, without any aid of a stick in the way that Elyon's own had been designed, with a trio of small and ruffled raven hued feathers sticking out on the top right side of it.

Her short, pixie cut hair held an eye-shaped, diamond-resembling jeweled barrette upon her right side, while the rest of her short kept locks were lightly gelled and tousled, styled into a rather becoming hairdo. Light bronzer caressed her visage, giving it a healthy and becoming glow, while light eyeliner and soft peach lipgloss gently kissed her lips.

The girl's gown, strapless and white in color, was a vision to behold, with a full tulle ball gown skirt meticulously covered with black beads, and a black bra cup bodice top.

Elyon was absolutely positive: this beautifully dressed young woman was _definitely_ Alchemy . . . which meant that she had better leave her side, before the girl began to realize the blonde before her was her best friend. She wanted to hang out for a moment or two in order to chat with the russet haired girl, but seeing as Elyon hadn't once made it known to her that she, too, would suddenly and quite curiously be in attendance of Princess Étaín's ball, it would be rather difficult to explain, otherwise.

And, besides that, the two were still on a bit of awkward ground, since their run in at the mall that past Wednesday . . . or, at least, as far as the blonde was concerned, anyway. Elyon still couldn't quite understand what was the matter with her friend, or even if there was anything the matter, at all. And seeing as Alchemy had never brought it up and had carried on for the rest of the week, gaily discussing about the upcoming ball as though nothing had ever happened, Elyon had simply chosen to let it slide.

Still . . . now that she was seeing the other girl again, and especially Taranee this evening, it began to make her wonder. . . .

"I-It's all right! Don't worry about it, miss," Elyon could hear the masked Alchemy say in kind with a smile, breaking through her thoughts. She then watched as she paused for a moment, before speaking once more. "Hmm . . . actually . . . you look rather familiar to me, if I could be honest. . . ."

This caused Elyon to nearly jump in surprise, before she nervously began to giggle and wave her free hand in dismissal.

"O-Oh! You know, I get that _a lot?_ Yeah, happens to me everywhere I go, really! I guess I just have that sort of face!" she hastily replied with a crooked grin, watching Alchemy lightly tilt her head to the side in perplexity. "W-Well, I had better move on, now! Take care!"

Elyon hurriedly rushed away from the undoubtedly befuddled Alchemy, feeling a bit guilty as she swiftly blended into the crowd and carefully zigzagged in between them. She'd hated to do that to her friend, but she supposed it was better than having to spend God only knows how long it would take to explain herself, otherwise.

"I'll make it up to her later, I guess. . . . Right now, I should probably try to find Taranee and Csilla, and see if they haven't had any better luck than I," she softly whispered to herself, beginning to carefully search through the sea of unknown male and female guests she was surrounded by.

Suddenly, a male sounding voice lightly echoed from behind Elyon, just as the live orchestra had completed playing their latest waltz.

". . . . Beautiful maiden . . . I've admittedly been eyeing you from across the ballroom for the past several minutes now, and I must say that you are quite possibly the most breathtaking being in here. . . . Will you do me the honor in sharing the next dance with me?"

Elyon let out a gasp of abrupt surprise at the initial unexpectedness of hearing someone else speaking to her, and then took in another sharp inhale upon turning around to see who it could be.

_. . . . Oh, my God! Tuxedo Kamen? Is it . . . is it really him?_ she wondered in silence, a mixture of instant disbelief, as well as admitted hope flooding her insides, in addition to . . . something _else_ she couldn't quite honestly place her finger upon.

It very well _could_ have been the mysterious Tuxedo Kamen, and the dishwater blonde was pretty positive that it _was_ him, despite having only officially met him once before. Still, this tall, young man possessed the same overall stature and slim physique as he, including the same, slicked back and chestnut colored hair, tawny skin, and emerald tinted eyes which were then currently peering happily down at her from behind a mimicking white hued mask.

With the exception of not possessing a flowing, red lined and black cape, this brunet was even adorned within the same dashing onyx tuxedo as Tuxedo Kamen, even right down to the same ivory colored gloves covering his hands.

_It_ _has_ _to be him. . . . I . . . I was admittedly sort of hoping that I might see him here tonight, as well_ , Elyon thought with a jumping heart, as she'd realized the gravity of her own admission, a deep blush beginning to flood her cheeks. _Then . . . that means that I . . . I now have_ _two_ _crushes. . . . One on Cedric, whom I truly_ _do_ _love . . . and . . . and one upon_ _him_ _. . . . Tuxedo Kamen. . . ._

Without a word, Elyon timidly placed her right, free hand into the extended appendage of the presumed Tuxedo Kamen's, before allowing herself to be carried across the dance floor in rhythmic time to the newly beginning waltz the orchestra had just then began to play.

A multitude of exciting, as well as honestly frightening emotions began to swirl around inside of her, most of which she did not readily understand, as she found herself becoming increasingly lost within his rather mesmerizing eyes.

_I . . . I don't really know why, but . . . this . . ._ _all_ _of this almost feels sort of . . ._ _familiar_ _to me, dancing and being with him in this way_ , the dishwater blonde thought to herself in growing awe, her head swimming with so many various, other musings at the same time. _I wonder how he feels right now . . . if it might feel the same way to him, as well. . . . And . . . does he realize that I'm Sailormeridian, the way I remember that he's Tuxedo Kamen, or does he just think I'm some random 'pretty girl?' Oh, well . . . at least he apparently thinks I'm beautiful, heh, heh. . . ._

Unbeknownst to Elyon, her tall dance partner was thinking along the same lines, himself, as he continued to take the lead within the light and energetic waltz, and she followed with slight awkwardness.

_Her hair smells so wonderful . . . and her eyes. . . . They seem so familiar to me . . ._ _dancing_ _with her seems so familiar to me_ , the brunet silently pondered to himself, a small, but comfortable smile gracing his lips as the petite blonde in his arms then shyly returned it in kind. _I shouldn't even be doing this at all, since I'd only come to search for the Star of Threbe, and see if the Princess of Marsily's treasure couldn't be it . . . but . . . once I'd seen this girl from across the ballroom, I just couldn't help myself. . . . I'd just felt so inexplicably_ _drawn_ _to her . . . I've never felt this way, before. . . . Who could you be, beautiful maiden?_

* * *

Meanwhile, Taranee was simultaneously finding herself being gloriously swept across the dance floor on the other side of the ballroom, by an unknown man she had accidentally bumped into just moments before. It had all happened so quickly, as well, as _one_ moment both she and Csilla had been continually busy, trying to search for the Princess and her royal family treasure, and then within the next, she had found herself colliding into the crimson haired young man, who was now unexpectedly her dance partner.

After a few quick exchanges in apology, Taranee was on her way to shyly excusing herself from the male's path of way, when he had then surprisingly asked her to dance with him, insisting that someone as lovely as she should stay at his side.

And before she could even think to decline, the relatively tanned and unidentified man had led her out onto the dance floor, carefully setting down her white handbag, which secretly held a now quite perplexed Csilla inside, onto a nearby and empty seat placed against the wall.

With the chair still within perfect view from where they now were, dancing in perfect unison and elegance to the delightful waltz wafting throughout the ballroom, Taranee struggled to control her growing nerves the longer she stared into the man's brown eyes from behind the blood and gold colored mask he securely wore upon his face.

His was more unique than some of the others the raven haired intellect had seen thus far that evening, as his mask had what almost looked like little devilish horns protruding from out of both sides at the top of it.

_. . . . But he certainly doesn't_ _look_ _like a devil to me, though_ , Taranee fleetingly thought to herself in continued memorization, feeling herself grow more and more lost within his gentle embrace as they continued to dance. _In fact, he sort of reminds me of that nice guy I had met several days ago . . ._ _Nigel_ _. . . ._

It was true.

With medium length, cardinal locks lightly gelled and hanging ever so gently against the back of his strong neck and cheeks, in addition to possessing the same eye color and build, this particular young man could very well have passed for Nigel's twin . . . only, Taranee could not honestly be so sure, as she had only encountered him once before, and never again since.

Still, she truly hoped inside that it was him, especially the way he continued to gaze down upon her with a soft smile, and with an expression upon his partially covered countenance as though they were the only couple within the otherwise massively filled ballroom.

And with him currently adorned within a dark red, yet quite becoming tuxedo, the pair indeed honestly resembled a rather _loving_ couple, especially having unintentionally matched within attire color.

_. . . . Whether it really is Nigel or not, I still feel lighter than air right now, as though within a dream,_ the blushing Taranee thought with an inward sigh, as the waltz was beginning to draw to an unfortunate close.

_. . . . Why am I even doing this, dancing with this_ _human_ _, when I should be concentrating upon the mission at hand?_ the disguised Deite silently pondered to himself with curious confliction, in reflection to having suddenly gotten the overwhelming urge to dance with the mocha skinned beauty, within the midst of his malevolent search for his intended target. He then bestowed the apparently timid girl a flirtatious smile as the waltz ended. _Oh, well. Even I, as truly evil as I am, cannot deny how beautiful she is,_ _whomever_ _she happens to be . . . even if she_ _is_ _a lowly human._

The unrealized Deite then gently kissed Taranee's bare hand, before stepping back to bow at her within courteous respect.

"I thank you for the wonderful dance, my lovely - You are a _truly_ gifted dancer," he complimented with another flirtatious simper, before then abruptly turning on his heel and departing into the now standstill crowd without another word.

Still within her daze to even take notice initially, Taranee then forced herself to snap out of it as her naturally clever mind had then made a sudden connection.

". . . . 'My lovely?' . . . . That was what _Nigel_ had called me on that day when we'd first met! _And_ he'd kissed my hand in the same way, as well! It _must_ have been him, after all!" she quietly exclaimed to herself in tardy realization, about to rush after him (if she even could), when suddenly, an unknown male voice echoed within a microphone towards the direction of where the orchestra was set up in the distance.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our honored guests, in just a few moments, Princess Étaín shall enter, and present her royal family's mystical treasure to all of you for the very first time!" a salt and pepper, partially balding and elderly, tuxedo-clad man spoke through the microphone within his hand. He stood before the now resting orchestra, upon the podium-like stage they had been set up upon, and smiled generously upon the rather packed ballroom full of now extremely anxious guests.

_Hmm . . . then now is the perfect time to act_ , Deite thought menacingly within the large crowd, a vile smirk forming upon his face before making his way towards one of the nearby exits.

Meanwhile, around the same time, Taranee was forging her own way towards the front of the crowd with a reclaimed Csilla, while _Elyon_ was somewhere within the middle of the throng of seemingly endless guests, still within the arms of the believed Tuxedo Kamen.

Despite the music having ceased, the pair continued to remain enfolded within each other's arms, gazing into one another's eyes, as though nothing or no one else was even there. It wasn't until that very moment that the both of them at last snapped out of their comfortable reverie.

_Oh . . . the Princess is gonna come out now, finally. . . . I guess I'd better get going, then, and find the others . . ._ _unfortunately_ , Elyon thought with growing reluctance, her masked, blue eyes peering forlornly into the brunet's emerald colored own _. . . . . But . . . I don't want to lose this feeling. . . ._

_I know I have to do what I've come here for, but . . . now, I wish I didn't have to, if only just to stay here . . . with her_ , Tuxedo Kamen pondered silently with slight sadness, before slowly releasing the dishwater blonde beauty's delicate hand from his strong, yet gentle grasp.

". . . . 'Till we meet again," Tuxedo Kamen simply murmured to the continually dazed Elyon, before rushing off into the crowd, which was becoming more and more compact, as each individual struggled to get a good view of the podium up front and when the princess would enter.

No one had to wait quite long, at all, in fact, as in that very instant did a pair of grand, white double doors slowly open, and a young woman within a flowing, and blatantly regal-looking blue colored gown enter.

_She_ _must_ _be the Princess . . . I had better get a move on, then_ , Elyon thought to herself once her stupor had at last worn off, and she had caught sight of the long and wavy, coffee-caramel haired and white chocolate skinned monarch in the near distance.

Various bulb flashes of cameras from the numerous photographers and journalists invited to the ball immediately began to go off, as the crowned and bedazzled beauty calmly made her way towards the podium, with two bodyguards trailing behind and before her.

In her gloved hands was an oval shaped, silvery and bejeweled box, which she cradled ever so protectively as she walked.

". . . . That must be her mystical treasure inside," Taranee whispered observantly to the continually hidden Csilla within Elyon's handbag, who had just then arrived at their side and gave a small nod in acknowledgment.

"Then we'd better pay extra close attention, now, girls," Csilla softly advised from within the bag, just the tip of her tiny ears currently visible and lightly twitching in added attentiveness.

With an agreeable nod, both Guardians then turned their attention onto the mesmerizing and graceful princess, as she had by then reached the podium and cleared her throat to begin speaking.

". . . . Good evening, ladies and gentlemen; honored guests, and friends. I, my family, as well as the rest of our beloved country of Marsily thanks you for attending such a special occasion," Princess Étaín began with a warm and generous smile, before her steely blue eyes then flickered with a curious darkness so suddenly . . . which only Taranee seemed to catch, as her own eyes instantly narrowed in suspicion and her body lightly tensed up at the sight.

". . . . Something isn't quite right, you guys. . . . I can . . . I can _feel_ it," the raven haired intellect admitted within a hushed voice, causing Csilla to daringly poke her grayish head from out of Elyon's handbag to see for herself.

All three comrades then watched as Princess Étaín clutched even more tightly to her jewel studded box, before giving her vast audience a suddenly devilish smile.

". . . . I really cannot thank all of you _enough_ for coming, tonight . . . because now, you get to so graciously offer up your lovely energy to my master!" she cackled with reinforced maliciousness, so unlike the far more kinder and gentler voice she had had possessed not but moments before.

Before anyone could react, including the undercover Guardian Soldiers, Princess Étaín suddenly raised her right arm towards the fleet of guests, and continued on within her cruel laughter as a dark and swirling energy wave cascaded out of it and into the crowd.

"Girls, watch _out!_ You mustn't allow yourselves to be weakened by this dark energy!" Csilla cried out in alarm, watching as everyone else around them within the ballroom instantly began to drop like flies in unconsciousness. She then looked upon her two charges and saw them struggle to remain erect, let alone conscious, as she, too, began to grow quite weary. ". . . . The . . . the only way is if you two transform right now! It will give you . . . an added power boost. . . ."

" _Csilla!_ Oh, no, she's passed out, Taranee! Come . . . come on, then!" Elyon gasped in affect after both she and Taranee watched their mutual feline mentor slowly close her green eyes, as heavy slumber effortlessly claimed her, and was about to do the same to the two of them. "We . . . we have to do as . . . as she says, and then rescue the Princess from the Entity obviously possessing her!"

Taranee merely gave a quick, although fatigued nod in agreement, before carefully setting down the white handbag onto the floor, which was then currently littered with unconscious bodies of every last guest in attendance . . . including the seemingly unlucky Alchemy and the both of her parents in the distance.

" _Meridian Eternity Power, Make Up!"_

" _Mars Power, Make Up!"_

"W-What is this? What's going on, here?" the possessed Princess Étaín cried out in surprise as she lowered her hand, which had then ceased within releasing its dark energy. Her sunken in, steel blue eyes widened as she watched the unexpected, dual, and unique transformations of her would (and _should_ ) be victims unfold before her within a kaleidoscope of color.

Within seconds, it was already over, and two sailor suited young women now stood where their formerly ball gown attired alter egos had been. A heavy frown creased the both of their no longer tired looking visages, as the dishwater blonde before the princess was the first to speak.

"For having taken over the respected and well honored princess, I, the sailor soldier of love and justice, Sailormeridian, shall _punish_ you, Entity!" she spoke in bravery, extending out her arm and pointing an index finger directly at the overtaken princess within an accusatory manner.

The generally reddish themed and raven haired girl beside her nodded within apparent concurrence at this, before speaking, herself.

" _Likewise!_ We'll _never_ forgive you for possessing the innocent Princess Étaín!" she voiced with fierce conviction and authority, causing Sailormeridian to briefly gaze upon her within utter surprise, as a result.

_Since when is Taranee so . . ._ _bold_ _like this? It's so unlike how she is normally . . . almost like her Guardian guise has suddenly given her a great boost in confidence, or something_ , she thought momentarily with a small, reflective smile, before immediately turning her attention back onto the situation at hand.

"Hm, hm, hm. . . . Is that so? I highly doubt the two of _you_ can do anything to stop me! The mystical treasure is _mine!"_ the evil influenced Princess Étaín screeched in between guffawing, seemingly undaunted by the other two girls' threats.

She then swiftly jumped from off of the podium and towards a pair of closed, balcony doors behind her, and roughly kicked them open.

"Sailormeridian! She's getting away with the treasure! You have to do something!" Sailormars instructed intensely, already charging on ahead of her companion and towards the retreating princess.

"R-Right! _Meridian Healing Escalation!"_ Sailormeridian cried out, her sparkling and cleansing based attack causing Princess Étaín to abruptly tense up within her place, before toppling over onto the floor in unconsciousness.

Both Guardian Soldiers watched as the silver treasure box escaped the monarch's arms and skidded several feet before her, at the same time that an eerie, shadowy mist then appeared and hovered into the air and over her body.

Sailormeridian gasped in alarm at the sight, especially the moment a vaguely familiar face unexpectedly began to take shape within the wavy and otherwise opaque haze.

"W-What? Sailormars, _look!_ That's that guy, _Deite's_ face!" she cried in stunned shock, as her raven haired comrade lightly shivered at the unfortunate memory of their previous, as well as first encounter with one another . . . when he had nearly _killed_ her.

Gathering up her nerve once more, Sailormars began to concentrate her energy, before responding to the blonde slightly behind her.

". . . . I-I remember, Sailormeridian . . . which is why it's _payback_ time! _Fire Soul!"_ she shouted out within embittered retribution and extended palms, her now familiar stream of ferocious fire sailing towards the swirling mist before her. Having expected it to have vanished after her well aimed attack, both Sailormars and Sailormeridian were greatly taken aback to see that not only was it still intact as well as present, but Deite's face had then twisted into a sinister sneer before laughing harshly at the two of them.

"Ha, ha, ha! Did you _really_ think that that would work on my shadow self, you _Sailor-Twit?_ This insignificant human's mystical treasure _shall_ be mine, just as a swift and painful _death_ shall be _yours!"_ he gloated darkly, eyes beginning to glow as he prepared himself for an attack.

Suddenly, a voice hurriedly called out from behind the two now bewildered young women, as it came closer.

"Sailormeridian, _hurry!_ Use your tiara in order to counteract the darkness shed throughout this room!" the girls turned around in time to catch sight of a now caped Tuxedo Kamen skid to a stop beside the dirty blonde, and gave a hard nod towards her in furthered acknowledgment.

"Tuxedo Kamen, you _came!_ I-I mean , er . . . whatever you say!" Sailormeridian gasped within affect, lightly smiling in appreciation by the sight of the tall brunet standing beside her, before immediately placing her gloved hand upon her already glowing tiara. " _Meridian Tiara Boomerang!"_

Once again her golden tiara had magically morphed itself into a flat and circular boomerang, before slicing effortlessly straight through the billowing, dark mass. It instantly dissipated into nothingness, with only the echoing scream of a defeated Deite within its wake.

"Oh! _Yes!_ We _did_ it!" Sailormeridian cheered within relief, her formerly enchanted tiara now returned to her forehead. She shared a smile with Sailormars, before turning to do the same with Tuxedo Kamen, who was then curiously rushing forward towards the balcony . . . as well as to the discarded treasure box.

". . . . T-Tuxedo Kamen? What're you -" Sailormeridian began in perplexity, before letting out a surprised scream, the moment a bright flash of red light exploded into the ballroom, and the formerly presumed defeated Deite appeared before the three of them.

Before anyone could stop him, the visibly boiling young man abruptly bent over and snatched up Princess Étaín's treasure box.

" _Ha!_ You may have won the battle, but it appears as though I have just won the _war!_ With this in hand, my master will be _most_ pleased!" Deite boomed with a cackle, already turning on his heel to leave, when Tuxedo Kamen rushed forward to stop him.

"Give that _back_ , you; I _need_ it!" he said within a demanding tone, a long, black cane suddenly appearing within his right hand.

Deite merely chuckled in amusement at this, and raised his free hand within a beckoning, in addition to challenging manner.

"Hmph . . . try and _take_ it, then," he said defiantly, before placing himself within a defensive stance, while still clutching firmly onto the silvery treasure box.

Both Sailormeridian and Sailormars watched in stunned shock as another, although completely unforeseen battle commenced before them, this time between Deite and the brunet the blonde had so far always considered to be their ally.

_But then . . . why is_ _he_ _after Princess_ _Étaín's_ _treasure for himself, just like_ _Deite_ _is? It doesn't belong to either one of them_ , she pondered silently to herself, while watching a bit helplessly at the violent display continually unfolding before her. _This isn't right. . . ._

Just then, Deite's surprised cry startled Sailormeridian straight out of her conflicted reflections, in time to witness the prized and furiously sought after treasure box abruptly fly out of his gloved hand and into the air behind him . . . and heading straight towards the balcony's edge.

" _N-No!_ The Princess's treasure!" Sailormeridian cried, before mindlessly rushing past the two stunned young men, and towards the sailing, sudden projectile in order to catch it in time.

"Sailormeridian! Watch _out!"_ Sailormars called out to her companion within fierce alarm, starting after her, just as an angered Deite, sensing it best to deplorably cut his losses while he still could, had abruptly vanished from sight.

Within a grand leap, Sailormeridian had managed to seize the silvery box just in time, before it had fallen completely over the balcony's edge . . . however, due to the sheer force and momentum of her great stride, she was unable to stop from going over, herself. . . .

" _Ahhh!"_ she screamed in terror, squeezing her already tear filled, blue eyes shut tight as she felt herself falling from that tremendously great height. Suddenly, an unexpected, although blessedly firm hand grabbed a hold of Sailormeridian's free hand, causing her to reopen her eyes and gaze up slowly, while still protectively holding onto Princess Étaín's rightful possession with the other.

"H-Hold . . . on _t-tight!"_ an out of breath and greatly struggling Tuxedo Kamen instructed through gritted teeth, as he draped half of his body over the balcony in order to seize better hold upon the dangling blonde before him.

Sailormeridian gasped within mixed surprise and fear, as she managed to lightly nod in understanding . . . at least, in regards to the brunet's fevered request, as his current actions began to confuse her further.

_Why is he willing to nearly risk his_ _own_ _life in order to save mine? Is it because I now hold the mystical treasure . . . or is it because he really_ _is_ _on our side, after all?_ she thought to herself momentarily, before letting out an abrupt squeal the moment she felt her hand slipping away from Tuxedo Kamen's own.

" _A-Ahh!_ I-It's no good, Tuxedo Kamen! Just . . . just let me _go_ ," the dishwater blonde nobly pleaded with the visibly struggling young man above her, not wishing to place his safety within any further danger than needed. However, before he could have acted, whether or not he had intended to, Sailormeridian was mortified to witness Tuxedo Kamen suddenly topple over the edge of the balcony, falling straight down to his presumed demise and, within the process, taking her with him.

" _Ahhhhhhh!"_ they both screamed at the top of their lungs, just as a fear-stricken Sailormars could be seen poking her raven colored head over the edge and arriving just nanoseconds too late to help.

"Sailormeridian! _No!"_ she cried out in horror, her brown eyes widening and effortlessly filling with uninhibited tears, as she was forced to helplessly watch her newfound companion plummet down to her assured end.

Suddenly, a bright flash of soft bluish light began to emit from the silvery star pendant placed upon Sailormeridian's bowed chest, causing it to grow intensely warm in the process. Hands still clutched firmly together, both she and Tuxedo Kamen gazed down upon its mystical glow within perplexity, at the same time they'd began to realize the two of them were curiously slowing down within their drop.

Before either could say a word, a circular aura of the same bluish tint had then magically appeared and encased the pair within a protective shell, carrying them to safety.

"Oh, thank _God_. . . ." Sailormars breathed in relief upon taking in the unexpected sight, reaching up to dry her shed tears, before immediately whirling around to retrieve the still unconscious Csilla, and then vacate the premises in order to meet their blonde comrade down below.

". . . . What . . . what _is_ this?" Tuxedo Kamen asked within breathless awe, looking about the magically enforced bubble of sorts, while holding onto an equally mesmerized Sailormeridian protectively.

"I . . . I'm not sure, but . . . it feels so _warm_ . . . and _nice_ ," she murmured in reply and with flushed cheeks, her chest continuing to glow its vibrant, soft blue, while gazing about their newfound surroundings, as well. She then closed her eyes and, without thinking, began to lightly sing to herself. " _So here I am . . . come with me. . . . This is our starlit destiny! Starlit destiny . . . this time I won't be denied. . . . Starlit destiny . . . boy, one day you will be mine. . . ._ "

Tuxedo Kamen merely gazed at Sailormeridian with fondness upon his visage and a soft smile, while her eyes slowly closed and she continued to gently sing her song. After only a few more minutes, the two were delicately set upon the ground in safety, and the bluish light upon Sailormeridian's chest dissipated into nothingness.

". . . . Looks like you saved me there, Sailormeridian . . . thank you," Tuxedo Kamen said with an appreciative smile, after reluctantly releasing her gloved hand.

Sailormeridian blushed furiously at this, and looked down at her boots in shyness, and shook her head in disagreement.

"N-No, way . . . it was _my_ fault, really, in the first place. . . . But, I'm _really_ thankful for all you've done," she murmured with a gentle smile, nervously wringing her hands together.

The two stood in silence for a few moments, before Tuxedo Kamen softly cleared his throat in awkwardness.

"Y . . . You know . . . you sing pretty well," he complimented with a lopsided grin, a faint rouge caressing his tawny cheeks, as the dishwater blonde before him looked up in surprise.

"W-What? Oh, _gosh!_ I can't _believe_ I just did that in front of you! T-That is, I don't usually sing in front of _anyone_ , e-except for myself in front of the _mirror_ or something, _or_ maybe sometimes with my best friend, Alchemy. . . . _A-Anyway!_ T-Thank you. . . ." Sailormeridian gushed in embarrassment, returning the sheepish simper.

" _Sailormeridian_!"

Both Sailormeridian and Tuxedo Kamen looked up to see a frantic, yet relieved looking Sailormars rushing towards them, with a now fully aroused Csilla jogging after her.

"Sailormars! _Csilla!_ You're okay!" the blonde cried in happiness, meeting her companions halfway, and clasping her hands together with the raven haired girl's, while looking down at the smiling feline who then began rubbing against her leg in affection.

"And so are _you_ , thankfully! How did it happen?" Sailormars asked in wonder, gently releasing her palms from Sailormeridian's grasp.

The blonde shrugged lightly.

"Honestly? I'm not so sure. But, I just remember not wanting anything to happen to either of us . . . that I'd wanted to save Tuxedo Kamen, and then . . . I guess I just sort of _did_ ," she explained as best she could, scratching the back of her head in bewilderment. Suddenly, she let out a gasp, which startled her two friends in the process. " _Oh!_ But, the Princess's _treasure!_ It's _gone!_ I must have dropped it on the way down without realizing!"

"No . . . you didn't. _I_ have it, Sailormeridian," Tuxedo Kamen revealed from behind them, causing the trio to turn in surprise, as he slowly raised his left hand and held up the silvery treasure box. Before anyone could stop him, he quickly opened it to reveal a shimmering, large and rather priceless looking blue topaz heart and diamond pendant, which was also encrusted within fourteen karat gold. ". . . . This isn't it."

"Tuxedo Kamen . . . are you _also_ searching for the mystical Star of Threbe? Who _are_ you?" Csilla suddenly piped up, taking a chance to speak to the young brunet, as she took several steps toward him.

Surprisingly, the fact that a cat was currently and most mysteriously speaking to him did not seem to jostle him, however, as Tuxedo Kamen merely gave the feline a rather pensive look before slowly responding.

". . . . Don't know . . . but, so long as we both are looking for the same thing, then . . . I suppose _I_ am also your enemy, as well," he said hollowly, lightly tossing the now closed treasure box over to a deeply stunned Sailormeridian, before then abruptly turning on his heel and began to walk away with a grand flourishing wave of his red lined cape.

No one could say a word after this, as the trio continued to watch the mysterious young man disappear into the thick darkness of the warm evening. . . .

* * *

Meanwhile, nearly across the city, a lone, young woman with short, rose colored locks sat down upon the front steps of her loft outside. A calm and collected expression suffused itself onto her naturally tawny countenance, as she let out a small exhale while gazing up at the slowly blackening and cloudy night sky.

". . . . Hmm . . .seems like a storm has arrived. . . ." she murmured within reflective seriousness, before slowly closing her molasses hued eyes in further pondering. . . .

**\- End of Act 3**


	5. ℓ Act 4 ℓ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--------
> 
> This chapter was created/written in October 2009.
> 
> \--------

" _Ugh_ . . . I wish there was some way to invent an _extra_ day in between Sunday and Monday, 'cause then I'd finally be able to actually catch up on some much needed rest. I just can't believe the weekend's _already_ over, with another long and _very_ boring seven-day school week ahead of me once again," a rather exhausted Elyon murmured in between sleepy yawns to a half-listening and much more alert Csilla in contrast, on that early Monday morning.

Today, for a change, it was a slightly leisure and lazy sort of trek to Heatherfield High, as Elyon was actually going to arrive onto the school premises with more than enough time to spare. But then, her furry new companion had made precisely sure that she _would_ do this time, as the very same instant that the blonde's alarm clock had begun to ring to stir her awake earlier on that morning, Csilla, too, had added a little bit of extra insurance of her own.

"Oh, and you _didn't_ have to dig your crazy sharp claws into my _butt_ , either, just to get me up, you know. I would've done so on my own . . . _eventually_ ," the petite fourteen-year-old added with a light frown directed towards the now smirking, slate gray colored feline currently hitching a ride within the girl's left arm, while her right blindly reached behind herself to gently stroke at the back of her white hued and knee length frilly skirt. "I won't be surprised if there's permanent _scarring_ , now, too. . . ."

Csilla then softly chuckled to herself, before apologetically rubbing her fluffy cheek against the left side bosom of her charge's simple pink t-shirt.

"Aww, I really _am_ sorry for having applied so much pressure like that, Elyon - I suppose I do not know my own strength at times," she began within a low, discreet tone, as she usually would whenever the pair were out in public together and conversing. "But, I knew that there would have been absolutely _no_ way that you would have gotten to school on time _without_ a little extra . . . 'assistance.' After all, I've only been in your care as the new 'family pet' for a mere few weeks now, and I can already tell how much you seem to enjoy your slumber. And besides, the last thing we need is another reason for your parents to find cause to ground you all over again . . . _especially_ not now, with things beginning to pick up within our mission. . . ."

At this, Elyon felt herself becoming a bit more awake, and Csilla, herself, both felt and saw this, as well, as the teenager's body lightly tensed up momentarily at the same time that her soft blue eyes gently widened. She paused for a moment, her white flip flop sandals stopping within their tracks upon the rather busy and pedestrian-filled sidewalk.

In truth, Elyon's now only slight fatigue was due less to the fact that she had spent all of Sunday scrambling to play catch up with her homework and studying, and more so in part to the rather vigorous and nearly life-ending battle both she and Taranee had shared as Sailormeridian and Sailormars during Princess Étaín's honored ball that past Saturday.

Never in her young life had she ever been so scared (even _with_ everything she had thus far experienced as a newly turned magical force for good), having plummeted so far and so fast off of the Marsilian Embassy's ballroom balcony that night, and all to rescue the Princess's rightful and well sought after property.

Her royal treasure.

_Which, in the end, had turned out to be just a normal, although extremely priceless piece of family jewelry, something I'd almost_ _died_ _for. . . . Still, I'm glad that it's back with the Princess, that both she and it are now safe and sound,_ _and_ _out of Deite's grubby little paws_ , Elyon fleetingly thought, in continued reflection upon the rather eventful evening, before she suddenly felt Csilla's tiny paw rest itself upon her collarbone.

". . . . Elyon? Are you all right?" the green-eyed animal softly queried in concern, peering up at the girl, who then began to swiftly shake her dishwater blonde and messy pigtailed head, as though emerging from a daze.

"H-Huh? O-Oh, yeah. _Yeah_ , I'm fine, Csilla. . . . I was just thinking about our last battle, and how everything had gotten so . . . _complicated_ ," Elyon lightly trailed off at the last of her words, with a small, but thankfully unnoticed pout, as Csilla had then turned her attention back onto the bustling streets surrounding them.

She _did_ , however, seem to nonetheless understand the added meaning to the young girl's statement, as she then remarked, ". . . . I suppose that _is_ true, especially concerning that _Tuxedo Kamen_ fellow . . . now that we know that he's apparently after the Star of Threbe, himself, alongside Deite. It's as I'd told you girls on that night after the battle: We should all steer clear of Tuxedo Kamen from now on . . . at least until we are absolutely sure of his true intentions."

"But, _I_ am sure of his true intentions!" was what Elyon had almost blurted out, almost instinctively, to the wise, sometimes seemingly all-knowing feline, before promptly managing to stop herself just in time. Instead, she merely gave a small nod in mild understanding, and resumed her early morning journey to school.

It certainly wasn't as though she agreed with Csilla's point of view and newfound suspicions against the mysterious, masked young man. As far as Elyon was concerned, not a foul bone could have possibly existed within his body, not after having come to her rescue several times in the past.

After all, he _had_ just recently saved her life from certain peril, diving off of that balcony in order to do so. Although, to be fair and, technically speaking, it had not been the man's intention to fall off of it _with_ her . . . and, it _had_ ended up being Elyon, herself, to somehow safeguard the two of them in the end through the apparent use of her still budding powers.

Still.

What person, in their right mind, would risk doing something so otherwise _foolish_ , and for someone who was technically their competition, if they truly _were_ the enemy?

No. It simply did not add up, in _Elyon's_ mind, at least, and she had tried her absolute best to convince both Csilla _and_ Taranee (who had seemed mindfully inclined to concur with the feline's growing negative sentiments, simply based upon her facial expressions, alone), that very same night. . . .

" _. . . . Do you really think that Alchemy, her parents, and everyone else will be all right, now? Even the Princess, as well, Csilla? I don't feel right about just leaving like that, yet again," Elyon had murmured to her companions, while beginning the slightly long walk to the nearest bus stop that would take both her and Taranee to their respected homes._

_The newly formed Guardian Soldier duo had just then reverted back to their normal guises, within the usual light blue and dark red sparkled splendor, after having rounded a thankfully secluded corner. The surrounding streets, themselves, were pretty abandoned for the most part, as late evening was gradually beginning to set in, making the trio's hasty exit from the young princess of Marsily's ball a blessedly easy one._

_They were now a good block and a half away from the Marsilian Embassy, with the royal affair by then most likely beginning to resume (albeit awkwardly, the three comrades were sure), now that the Royal Family and its guests were arousing from out of their induced and deleterious slumber._

_No one had honestly said much to one another up until that moment, as their latest battle with the continued vile forces of their shared, menacing enemy had been by far the most strenuous. Between the unexpected Entity-possession of Princess Étaín, and having to contend against her without actually inflicting any sort of harm; the rather bothersome Deite's prompt appearance (or rather, his apparent shadow form, prior to) soon thereafter; and every last guest in attendance, including Csilla, herself, falling victim to another one of his energy-depletion attacks, it was an honest wonder that they had all made it out of there alive and in one piece._

_Especially not after having nearly lost the leader of their small, but growing group to a near tragic fall, all in thanks to her gradually budding bravery, as well as desire to procure the Princess's prized possession._

' _If it hadn't been for that weird bubble thing, or especially for Tuxedo Kamen, I probably wouldn't even be here right now. . . .' Elyon had thought somberly, after the group had fallen quiet once more, both Csilla and Taranee perhaps pondering the very same thing right then, as the shock of it all was still rather fresh._

_However, despite still feeling rather rattled by the overall and near-death experience, and for the fact that one of her dear friends was yet again caught within the line of fire, it was Tuxedo Kamen's startling admission which admittedly held Elyon within an ongoing grip of despair within that particular moment._

'" _. . . . So long as we both are looking for the same thing, then . . . I suppose_ _I_ _am also your enemy, as well," he'd said to us, after Csilla asked him if he was also searching for the Star of Threbe. . . . But . . . it can't be true. He just can't be our enemy, after everything he's done for us from the very beginning . . . can he?' the tiny, soft haired blonde had silently wondered in ongoing confliction, before having been startled by the sudden sound of Csilla's miniscule and tired sounding voice._

" _Yes, Elyon . . . your friend, her family, and everyone else will be just fine, thanks to the both of your efforts, once again. After all,_ _I'm_ _here, conscious once more and life energy returned to me, right? Although . . . I do think I could do with a much needed catnap . . . or two," the female cat, currently being cradled within a continually silent Taranee's arms, had softly responded with mild weakness laced within her traditionally much stronger voice. "And as for the Princess, I am quite confident that neither she nor any of her guests will honestly remember what had happened to them. Or, at least, if some do, they obviously will not be able to make much sense of it, much like those at Alchemy's father's jewelry exhibition, I'm sure."_

_Elyon had then shaken her commonly disheveled head in disagreement right then, allowing herself a reprieve from her ongoing, brooding ruminations concerning the ever mystifying Tuxedo Kamen, if only for the time being._

" _Nuh uh. Not true._ _Alchemy_ _, at least, seemed to remember a bit more than just bits and pieces here and there about that night . . . even_ _if_ _no one seemed to believe her, thankfully. So, who's to say that she, or even her father, this time, as well, won't recollect more from_ _this_ _instance, as well? What then?"_

_Csilla had sighed lightly at this, turning her slate gray colored head towards her primary charge, just as the overall weary trio rounded another corner._

" _. . . . Then we'll simply have to take it as it may come -_ _If_ _it may, that is - and dissuade her all over again, that's all," she'd replied in confidence, before letting out a heavy yawn. This response had seemed to satisfy Elyon, as her formerly worried, creamy visage had at last relaxed some, and given way to a thoughtful expression the moment her periwinkle colored eyes settled upon the ever quiet Taranee._

_The naturally shy and reserved girl hadn't said much of anything once they had all fled from the Marsilian Embassy, which the dishwater blonde had merely assumed was due to their rather dicey encounter with Deite and the immense fatigue which had followed thereafter._

_Now, however, she was beginning to wonder, especially based upon how honestly . . . pensive the other girl currently looked._

" _. . . . Taranee? Are you all right? You're not saying very much," Elyon had ventured an inquiry of concern, reaching out to rest a warm hand upon the raven haired intellect's bare shoulder. She'd then softly smiled as the fierce, dark blush which she had been expecting to appear upon Taranee's milk chocolaty cheeks swiftly had just then, an occurrence the blonde was already growing quite accustomed to._

_Taranee had nearly jumped right out of her skin in that moment, it'd seemed, before promptly turning her entire body to face her newfound companion with a sheepish smile reflecting upon her face._

" _W-What? Oh, y-yes, of course, Miss Brown! I'm just . . . fine, thank you," she had responded awkwardly in embarrassment, almost seeming to have briefly struggled with her choice of words momentarily. Because of this, Elyon had really wondered if the other girl_ _was_ _"fine," like she'd said; however, she'd decided not to push it, as it really might have been most likely due to the overall chaos of that evening, after all._

" _. . . . I was actually just wondering about Princess Étaín, and if she really is the princess we're searching for," Taranee had surprisingly continued on, rather than return to whatever thoughts which had been swirling within the privacy of her own mind._

_It was then that the girls' shared bus stop had at last come into view in the still relatively far distance, causing the three of them to simultaneously breathe a grand sigh of relief, before Csilla had cleared her throat to respond._

" _. . . . No, Taranee, I'm sorry to say. Princess Étaín is_ _not_ _our princess," she'd stated with a mixture of faint firmness, alongside disappointment at this._

_Elyon had raised an eyebrow in curiosity, interjecting before Taranee, herself, had gotten the opportunity to speak once more._

" _But, wait a sec . . . I don't get it. How could you be so sure? She seemed pretty legit to me - I mean, besides not having that Star of Threbe we're also looking for, that is," she'd remarked with a tiny yawn of her own, before slowly stretching out her arms on either side of herself._

_Csilla had lightly narrowed her green eyes with mild displeasure._

" _I had never said that she was not an_ _actual_ _princess in general, Elyon. I'd merely stated that she was not_ _our_ _princess. I did not wish to jump to conclusions, especially before seeing for sure whether or not she possessed the Star of Threbe; however, the more time I had spent within her presence, the more I was able to sense that she wasn't the one. . . ." she'd vaguely explained, succeeding in raising more questions for her two pupils._

" _. . . . So, then, are you saying that you would be able to spot the Princess out immediately if ever she is to appear, or if we find her beforehand, Csilla? You never really were very clear when you'd started to explain it to us earlier today," Taranee had asked in curiosity, seeming to have become much more animated and involved within the group's ongoing conversation._

_At this, Csilla had merely smiled softly, rather than grow more irritated by the obvious slight doubt the one, if not the both of her soldiers had within her mystical capabilities._

" _No, no, nothing like that, Taranee. That is . . . how to put this?_ _When_ _, not if we find her, or she is to find us, beforehand, it will just be . . . a_ _feeling_ _, simple as that. Surely,_ _you_ _of all people, can understand that. . . ." she'd replied with a small smile, referring to the profound sixth sense the timid girl had hesitantly admitted to possessing to her new comrades earlier on that same day._

_At this, Taranee's cheeks had become flushed once again, before softly nodding in comprehension._

" _. . . . At any rate, I'm beginning to have developed a few new theories on precisely who our princess could be, although I do not wish to say anything quite yet," Csilla had then stated with sudden mystery, effortlessly catching both teenagers' attention, after at last arriving at their empty bus stop._

_Elyon had gazed upon her new "pet" with curious eyes a moment, before having taken a much needed seat upon the cool bench, with Taranee following suit._

" _Huh? You do, Csilla? So, then who -" she'd began, before the grayish blue feline abruptly cut her off by suddenly jumping onto her lap, after having freed herself from Taranee's gentle hold._

" _\- I'd prefer to do a little bit of investigating before sharing any of my theories upon the matter, Elyon . . . just to be on the safe side, before wasting everyone's energy and efforts, after all," she'd explained calmly with a serious expression, before curiously deepening her brow. "In the meantime, however, we should all continue to be on our toes, and certainly make it a strong point to keep away from that Tuxedo Kamen. . . ."_

_This was when Elyon had nearly screamed, she had been that taken aback by Csilla's last statement . . . even though, in all honesty, she had been expecting something of the sort, given the feline's rather protective nature._

" _B-But, wait! You_ _can't_ _mean that, Csilla!" the blonde had begun in shock, blue eyes now widened as though for added emphasis. "I know what he'd said back there, about viewing him as an 'enemy' if all of us are looking for the mystical Star of Threbe, but -"_

" _-_ _Exactly_ _, Elyon! He'd said so, himself, not I! If he is looking for it, but will not tell us why, not to mention apparently deems the three of us a threat within his search, then I most certainly_ _do_ _mean what I'd said!" the furry little animal had abruptly cut off her charge heatedly, her long tail now beginning to swish back and forth a bit wildly. "It may be your jobs as Guardian Soldiers to protect this planet and our princess once we've found her, but it is_ _my_ _job to look after and guide you well within your journey! And that_ _includes_ _making sure that any sort of potential danger be averted!"_

_While Taranee had seemed to have been rather understanding of the magical cat's reasoning, having given no hint of visible rejection, Elyon, however, absolutely refused to have any of it. She'd then turned her attention onto the thoughtful intellect, and peered at her with pleading eyes._

" _Taranee, please help me out here!_ _You're_ _the smart one of the bunch, after all! Tuxedo Kamen can't be evil like Deite, even with what he'd said, because he's always helping us! Right? There's_ _gotta_ _be a logical explanation for all of this!" she'd stated firmly, just as their bus could be seen slowly making its way down the partially empty road towards them._

_Before Taranee could have responded, however, looking greatly uncomfortable for having been promptly placed within the middle, at that, Csilla swiftly interjected once more in increased upset._

" _Why are you_ _so_ _adamant to prove this man's innocence, Elyon? You know as much about him as either one of us do. So, why is it so personal to you, as it now seems to be?" she'd queried with a slight cock of her fur-riddled head, causing Elyon to immediately blush at her words._

' _. . . . Wait . . . why_ _am_ _I so determined about it?' she'd silently pondered in that moment, eyes slowly becoming downcast, while struggling for a legitimate response to the feline's righteous inquiry. '. . . . Well, I guess it's because of what I've been trying to convince the two of them of: Tuxedo Kamen has risked his own life to save ours tonight, in addition to having helped me personally the very first time I'd become Sailormeridian. So . . . I suppose I just feel like . . . like I_ _owe_ _it to him to have faith within him, and his ultimate intentions for going after the Star of Threbe, as well. . . .'_

_It had been within that moment that Elyon's heart had seemed to gradually begin to betray her mind's conviction, as it curiously began to beat more soundly than before, causing her to instinctively rest a hand over it. A sudden flurry of butterflies had then let loose within her stomach, as well, a familiar sensation the girl had known all too well, especially within the presence of Cedric._

_But then . . . why had it occurred_ _ then _ _, and at the thought of the elusive Tuxedo Kamen, instead?_

_Just as the trio's bus had strained to a stop before them, images of the pair's shared ballroom dance had surfaced into the forefront of Elyon's mind then, and had remained with her for the majority of the thankfully quiet ride home._

_Tried as she might, they simply would not leave her, and nor would her butterflies, which only seemed to increase in amount the longer her daydreams had remained with her._

_The way Elyon had felt within the young man's strong, protective arms . . . the way he'd smelled . . . the way he'd looked . . . each had continued on swimming within her mind, with little which could have been done to have stopped it._

_And those_ _ eyes _ _. . . those big, mesmerizing, and haunting emerald colored eyes of his . . . there had been something so strongly familiar about them, the longer Elyon had gotten lost within them._ _ Everything _ _about that shared moment between the two had seemed familiar to her, as eerily as that was . . . but she could not, for the life of her, comprehend the reason behind it, nor the newfound feelings which would begin to manifest themselves whenever a thought was spared for the indefinable Tuxedo Kamen._

_It had been these particular thoughts which had lingered within the petite blonde's mind, after she and Taranee had at last parted ways and she had gotten dropped off at her home first, and long after she had at last climbed into her inviting bed and had fallen into a much needed slumber. . . ._

_. . . . And they're thoughts and questions I_ _still_ _don't have an answer to,_ Elyon thought after her mind had at last traveled back to the present, lightly sighing within mild frustration. _It's not like I can talk to anyone about this, either. Alchemy isn't a part of the whole Guardian-related loop, sadly, so_ _she's_ _out . . . and_ _Csilla_ _would probably just yell at me some more to forget about Tuxedo Kamen altogether. . . . But, I guess I could try talking to Taranee about it, but I don't really know if she'd have any sort of plausible answer, anyhow . . . not to mention that she'd seemed to be on Csilla's side in staying away from him, kinda. . . . And besides, she seemed to have a lot on her mind the last time that I saw her; I'd hate to bug her with my petty issues, after all._

Elyon let out a soft, slightly defeated sigh at this, before gently murmuring to herself, ". . . . No. There's nothing for it but to just forget all about these odd feelings. He saved our lives and is our ally for it - That's all."

"Hmm? Did you say something, Elyon?" Csilla naturally ventured in query, upon suddenly hearing her charge curiously mutter to herself in that way, her tiny, pointed ears perking up as a result.

Honestly having forgotten the feline had continually been present for a moment, Elyon nearly jumped within her stationed position at hearing her familiar voice, blushing instantly in embarrassment at nearly having unintentionally made Csilla privy to her ongoing ruminations.

" _H-Huh?_ N-No, Csilla, not really. I was just . . . muttering about how it really is _Fall_ here, now, since I feel a bit chilly all of a sudden," Elyon spoke hurriedly, before flashing the furry cat a crooked smile and rubbed at her arm with her free hand for emphasis.

Instead of having grown suspicious, as the blonde had honestly expected of the wise animal, Csilla instead gave her a concerned expression before nodding weakly.

"Really? I, myself, feel perfectly fine; but then, I _am_ the one with ample fur insulation, after all," she began with a soft purr of sympathy. "Maybe we should head back home, and quickly grab you a jacket to wear with your outfit, then -"

"- _No_ , no. No need, Csilla, thanks - I'll live," Elyon gently interrupted the slate gray enchanted being with a small smile of appreciation, before resuming her trek to school. "Besides, if we did that, then I really _would_ be late for class."

The pair continued on in silence for several moments thereafter, up until they'd rounded a nearby corner, where the usual newspaper and magazine stand Elyon would pass each day on her way to school was situated. It was there that a rather large, frenzied crowd of both customers and bystanders alike were gathered, talking animatedly about something that neither Elyon nor Csilla were able to quite make out through all of the commotion.

"Hmm . . . I wonder what all this is about?" the platinum blonde wondered aloud as she drew closer, more so to herself, although Csilla nodded in similar query.

"I can't _believe_ it! Can _you?_ More superheroes in our very city, _just_ like Sailor V!" squealed a short, teenage brunette to Elyon's immediate right as she approached, clutching what looked to be a local newspaper to her chest, as she peered up at her apparent and smiling male friend next to her.

At this, Elyon let out a sharp gasp in alarm, her insides instantly growing queasy as she worriedly gazed down at a now wide-eyed, but still carefully silent Csilla.

"'More superheroes, just like Sailor V?' Does she mean . . . _us_ , Csilla?" the pigtailed girl softly whispered to the cat in mounting concern, before beginning to push her way through the crowd in order to seize a newspaper for herself.

"That's _just_ what I need: _More_ action figures and dolls to buy for my daughter, now that _these_ two have popped up from out of nowhere," remarked a tall, raven haired man to himself directly in front of the newsstand, clad within an equally black business suit, once Elyon had successfully made it through the throng of busybodies. He then slowly folded his own newspaper within his hands, before placing it underneath his arm and looked upon the grinning, middle aged salesman before him. "But, hey, what can you do, huh? At least they, too, seem to be on our side, what with having apparently saved the princess of Marsily, _and_ her treasure from would-be terrorists at her ball like that on Saturday. . . ."

Elyon nearly fainted upon hearing this, knees instantly buckling from her continued nerves, as her soft blue eyes had then also landed upon the front cover of one of the many printed newspapers, which specifically had its readers within its eager grip.

There, splayed out in plain view for all to see, were the retreating forms of both Sailormeridian and Sailormars . . . _Elyon_ , and _Taranee_. . . .

Although the environment was rather dark, which thankfully provided enough shading to mask the both of their faces just well enough, it was still pretty clear enough for the masses to see that the two were indeed dressed nearly identical to Sailor V.

" _O-Oh!_ " the fourteen-year-old cried out before she could stop herself, promptly dropping an equally mortified Csilla from her arms without thinking, and immediately reached out for a copy of her own.

"A-Are you all right, young lady?" asked the middle aged newspaper salesman in concern, just as the opinionated businessman had walked away, and Csilla had let out a soft hiss in antipathy. The man then came around from behind his sales counter and gently pushed aside his surrounding customers, in order to reach a very flustered Elyon. "You don't look so well. . . ."

Catching her breath for a few moments, the soft haired girl swiftly shook her head as she continued to gaze upon the undeniable, exposing photograph of Taranee, and herself.

"Y-Yeah, I-I'm . . . I'm all right, mister, thank you. . . . I'm just . . . very _surprised_ that there are more people like Sailor V out there . . . that's all," she responded weakly, almost within a daze, as she slowly straightened her posture and finally looked up at the apparent Good Samaritan of a man.

He merely smiled in both relief as well as understanding at this, gently patting at the girl's back, before releasing her and returning to his place at the back of the sales counter.

"I hear ya, miss. Lately, things have gotten rather chaotic and a bit uneasy within this city of ours, with the police being able to do little to nothing about it, it seems like. So, I'm personally glad for the arrival of two new saviors," he remarked with a broader smile and soft sigh, before a thoughtful expression formed upon his face. "It's simply a shame that no one seems to know their names, or perhaps where they've come from, yet, though. But then, none of us honestly know much about _Sailor V,_ as well, after all. Hmm. . . ."

At this, the kind salesman turned his attention onto the rest of his customers, as more and more of them began to appear, and eagerly bought their own copies of such a historic newspaper issue. Elyon was grateful to have lost his focus, as she didn't want to risk continuing to draw any unwanted attention onto herself, or suddenly be accused of resembling one of those "Sailor V-like soldiers," even if it was honestly hard to tell from the picture.

Elyon then felt the now familiar sensation of Csilla weaving herself in between the teenager's skinny legs, primarily in protection from accidentally being trampled on by the continued onlookers. It was then that the blonde finally had gathered up her senses long enough in order to pay for her own copy of the revealing newspaper, before swiftly moving away from the stand and continued on within her walk to school.

Now that the two were no longer surrounded by those who could have easily eavesdropped upon them, Csilla softly cleared her throat to grab her charge's attention, as she lightly began to trot beside her.

"H-How could this have _happened?_ We have always been so very careful not to be discovered after our battles have been fought and won!" she spoke with a tense air, as she divided her attention upon the journey ahead and Elyon, who was frantically flipping the pages of her newspaper as she walked.

"I-I don't _know_ , Csilla! Well, I mean . . . this was obviously taken during the night of the Princess's ball, I guess after our battle with Deite, but before we'd left the premises . . . and there _were_ a lot of reporters and photographers naturally present, so. . . ." she trailed off as her train of thought was momentary lost to her, beginning to read bits and pieces of the accompanying inside article to both Taranee's and her debut, although _unintentional_ photo-op. "'. . . . As the dusty haze of unease began to at last settle within the entire ballroom, with a rather pale and perplexed looking Princess Étaín at the forefront, and whose physical appearance mirrored the universal, internal misgivings of that of her guests, I am quite sure, this reporter could merely stop and wonder simply this: What was the _cause_ of all of this? What could have been _so_ powerful enough as to cause the hundreds of honored guests to feel so dazed, _drained_ , and as though time had been lost to them somehow, if only momentarily?

It was only after I was able to seize a bit of much needed fresh air out upon the ballroom's balcony, coupled by managing to claim a few statements from the Princess, however befuddled, that I was able to add a few missing pieces to the puzzle. While it is mere speculation that an attack of unknown means, by equally unknown terrorists had been made upon the Marsilian Royal Family that night, according to the Princess, it is _also_ according to her that both she and the rest of us had been rescued by the selfless efforts of 'two very brave young women, dressed within the most peculiar manner,' as quoted to me by Her Highness. I, of course, being the truth-seeking journalist that I am, nonetheless found this tidbit of information to be rather difficult to swallow, even _if_ the source had come from royalty.

However, the very moment I had stepped out onto that balcony, I was more so inclined to believe the Princess. For it was there, down below me upon the grounds of the Embassy, a duo of young females had been, who rather fit the description of 'dressed within the most peculiar manner' that Her Highness had provided. With different colored leotards, skirts and sailor-like collars, my mind was instantly reminded of another apparent superhero of sorts, the elusive _Sailor V_.

Trusty camera thankfully still in hand, I was able to quickly seize a couple of snapshots of the mysterious pair, one of which you, the reader, now see before you, just as they had begun to rush off of the premises and into the blanketed darkness of the night.

Now, far be it for me to make the call upon a universal stand of opinion, in regard to whether or not these particular ladies had been there for all of our sakes, or perhaps our would-be downfall. However, it is in _this_ reporter's own personal view that, within such trying times as these, _surely_ there must be a thin ray of hope amongst the seemingly endless, and darkened clouds? _You_ be the judge. . . .'"

Elyon paused within her walking for a moment, after having finished reading the rest of the insightful article aloud, causing Csilla to do the same. She then peered down upon her with renewed worry shining forth within her light blue eyes.

". . . . Did you hear that? That reporter was able to catch me and Taranee, as the three of us were leaving the Embassy that night! She saw _everything!_ " she whimpered within a low tone, before beginning to nervously tug at the ends of her messy pigtails. "Well, _almost_ everything, anyway. There doesn't seem to be any mention of either you . . . _or_ Tuxedo Kamen in here, at least. I guess maybe she came out after he had gone, and wasn't able to take his picture as a result. . . ."

Too preoccupied with the potentially dangerous situation at hand to be bothered by the mention of the apparently dubious young man, Csilla lightly began to frown in continued thought before responding.

"Hmm . . . that is true, I suppose. But then, perhaps she'd found the presence of a 'mere feline' too inconsequential to mention within her profound article," she remarked with unexpected indignation and a swift flicker of her furry tail, causing Elyon to blink rapidly in surprise.

"A-Are you _serious?_ You're actually _upset_ that you weren't mentioned or photographed, yourself, Csilla? And here I thought you were the one always preaching about being careful not to be seen by the masses," the dishwater blonde said with a brief roll of her eyes, and faint smile. She was thankful, nonetheless, for the fleeting break of character within her guardian, as it allowed her the opportunity to begin relaxing, if only for the moment.

Feeling the skin underneath her grayish-blue fur beginning to grow warm in abashment, Csilla furiously batted her raised tail back and forth within the atmosphere, as though in attempts to dismiss the girl's poignant comment.

" _W-Whatever!_ Be that as it may, Elyon, a picture's worth a thousand words, because, as you can plainly see, we - Or rather, _you_ and _Taranee_ \- _have_ been exposed to the masses now, as you'd put it," she spoke with as much authority as she could, in order to stifle her charge's rather vexing simper which continued to remain upon her fair countenance. "And as . . . _daunting_ as that admittedly may be, it thus far doesn't appear as though it is an overall _bad_ thing. That is to say, both the public, as well as that particular reporter, seem to view the two of you within a _positive_ light, even going as far as to associating you with Sailor V, whom they all know to be good without a doubt. . . ."

Elyon raised a slender finger to her cherry Chap Stick covered lips in thought.

"Hmm . . . yeah, I _guess_ so. At least, then, in _that_ case, if and when we're somehow seen in public by others again, we can hopefully count on _not_ being arrested, _or_ shot at by the police, you know?" she voiced in query for a moment, before the smile upon her face at last began to fade, and a frown effortlessly took its place. "But, wait a sec. . . . Aren't you worried this might interfere with the whole mission thing? You know, finding the mystical Star of Threbe, our princess and all that? Also, I thought you said that people wouldn't be able to remember what happened once we've reversed the effects of whatever Entity Deite sends out to attack them? Apparently _Princess Étaín_ seemed to remember enough, and even that reporter lady, as well - Well, that something wasn't right, anyway. . . ."

This time, Csilla began to lead the way, as the pair resumed their walk for what felt like the umpteenth time that early morning, giving a slight nod in understanding as they did so.

". . . . True, that _is_ what I have said, and it _has_ been the case, for the most part. However, _this_ time, the Entity we had faced on that night had been more or less _Deite_ , himself. So . . . perhaps, because of this, the impact he had had upon his former victims with his dark energy had been _so_ strong that it'd unfortunately enabled lasting effects, even after you'd reversed them," the sagacious feline began in theory, as Elyon simultaneously lifted her newspaper to skim through the same article once more while listening. "After all, after having been affected, I had still felt rather drained, myself, despite having been healed by you . . . which, I suppose, then, the same may be said for your friend, Alchemy, once you see her on campus. . . . And as for our mission, while this may admittedly be a bit of a minor setback, I do not believe it will interfere within the long run. So, we should simply continue on as we have been, all the same. . . ."

"Hmm . . . if you say so. I guess I'll have to do a little bit more of the same sort of buffering I'd done for Alchemy, the last time she went around school, telling people about what happened to her at her dad's jewelry exhibit, because there is absolutely _no_ way she _won't_ be talking about _this_ incident - _Especially_ not with pictures to prove it, this time," Elyon remarked with a thoughtful air within her continued walk, honestly becoming more and more fascinated by the article in question the more she looked upon it. "I wonder if _Taranee's_ seen this yet, and how she feels about -"

"- Elyon, look _out!_ " Csilla abruptly cried out in alarm, the desire to be discreet instantly forgotten as she helplessly watched her primary charge blindly cross the street, and straight into the path of oncoming traffic.

"- W-What? I - _Ahh!_ " Elyon began in confusion, slowly lowering the newspaper away from her face and blocked view, before letting out a piercing scream the moment she'd realized her severe mistake, and locked eyes with a fast approaching pickup truck within her direction.

Without warning, the blonde unexpectedly felt, as she'd quickly closed her terrified eyes shut, the sensation of a pair of pretty strong arms wrapping themselves around her body, rather than the hard, bone shattering and most assuredly fatal impact with the oncoming vehicle. She then felt herself being toppled over, before rolling blindly along the graveled road with another, undeniable body pressed tightly against hers.

After a few moments had passed, with her absolute refusal to move, let alone open her eyes out of perpetual fear, Elyon at last did so . . . only to find herself gazing into an unfamiliar pair of rich mahogany, within a rather intimate proximity, at that.

Blushing furiously as a result, the now disheveled blonde let out a startled gasp and stammer, before promptly looking away in shyness, and slowly began to pull herself away from her apparent rescuer as other random pedestrians swiftly approached to help.

"Oh, my _goodness!_ That was _such_ a close call, there! Are both you girls all right?" an elderly woman nearest to the teenager asked, who, with the help of a few other onlookers, had then gingerly bent over to lift Elyon the rest of the way from off of the side of the road, where she and her quick thinking savior had settled.

"I-I, uh . . . I t-think so, yes," Elyon then weakly responded, lightly rubbing the back of her head, which was now furthered in messiness, before gazing down upon her apparent hero, or _heroine_ , according to the older woman.

Now that the two were not interwoven within one another's arms, and she was far enough to get a better view of her, Elyon could then see that the individual was indeed female, and honestly appeared to be around her own age, at that.

She watched with curious eyes as the unknown girl slowly rose to her own feet without the surrounding assistance which had been offered to her, as well, and proceeded to roughly dust herself off.

_Those clothes of hers sort of makes her look like a tomboy, or at the very least into sports . . . which, I guess, is a_ _good_ _thing, or else I probably wouldn't be here right now_ , Elyon curiously thought, as she took in the girl's black outlined tank top jersey, olive drab tinted cargo shorts, and yellow plaid slip-on sneakers.

But then, the more she'd taken in the fellow teenager's appearance, the more Elyon's initial opinion became a bit skewed, as she'd then noticed the rather unique design of several Tree Frogs, of various colors pleasantly decorating the front of the other girl's tank top, in addition to the Tree Frog keychain hanging delicately upon the khaki colored and messenger-style shoulder bag draped across her left shoulder.

Even a faint, but still visible trace of soft pink tinted lip gloss could be detected upon the young teenager's relatively full lips, as well.

_Hmm . . . it seems like maybe she might_ _also_ _have a typical girly side to her, as well, what with wearing a bit of makeup, in addition to her apparent like for frog accessories . . . even though frogs_ _are_ _pretty slimy and_ _gross_ , the platinum blonde lightly shivered at her newfound thought, before watching the honey eyed girl run a calm hand through her bob length and brilliantly red hued locks.

". . . . You'd better be careful there, next time," was all the redheaded deliverer said to Elyon, a bit evenly, before abruptly walking away, zigzagging through the continued sea of early morning pedestrians.

Blinking in surprise, as she hadn't expected their exchange to be so brief, Elyon immediately took off after the unknown, seemingly cold girl, as both their former onlookers and aids at last began to slowly disperse, themselves.

"W-Well, _w-wait_ a second! I-I never got -!" the petite girl started, calling after the crimson haired teenager and already losing sight of her within the growing crowd. The moment Elyon had rounded the final corner which would safely lead her the rest of the way to her school, the mysterious redhead was no longer anywhere to be seen, almost as though swallowed up within the mounting platoon of fellow commuters. ". . . . to say 'thank you. . . .'"

" _E-Elyon!_ Are you all right?" Elyon could hear Csilla frantically calling out after her from behind, before she'd turned around to properly face the jogging feline.

She nodded slowly.

"Yeah . . . I am, Csilla. But I never got a chance to thank the girl who saved me. . . ." the blonde lightly trailed off in response, a contemplative expression gathering onto her fair visage, as she looked back within the direction where she had last seen the female in question.

Catching her breath for a few moments, Csilla then gently rested a comforting, tiny paw against her charge's shin before speaking once more.

"Thank _goodness_ you're all right and in one piece, then, Elyon! But . . . _what_ girl? Throughout all the commotion, I wasn't able to readily cross the street, with so many people rushing forward to help you, and thus blocked my path. So, I ended up having to go around until I could reach you; I'm afraid I wasn't able to see the one who'd luckily rescued you. . . ." she explained softly, faintly beginning to purr in gratitude as Elyon bent over to pick up the emotionally rattled feline from off of the ground.

Gently stroking the top of her grayish blue colored head, Elyon shook her own in understanding dismissal, as she continued to stare straight ahead.

"It's all right . . . I guess. I just wonder who she could have been. . . .?"

 

* * *

By the time that lunchtime had arrived later on that school day, the news of the apparent arrival of two new Sailor V-like soldiers during Princess Étaín's royal ball had just about swept through the entire high school. It appeared to be quite honestly the _only_ thing that any of the students wished to discuss, with the majority of each reaction the same as the last, all filled with glee and instant adoration.

 

_Elyon_ , however, was positively mum upon the issue.

It was all she could do to keep a straight face, or to calm her returned rattled nerves, the more and more each of her various friends throughout her class periods talked about it. It made her honestly wish that pets were allowed on campus, so then she'd at least still have _Csilla's_ continued company; however, the two had naturally parted ways, once the blonde had safely made it onto school grounds after her near-death experience once again, with the grayish blue feline heading over to the Musical Star Café to continue her research upon the mystical Star of Threbe's possible whereabouts.

_Too bad Taranee doesn't go to this school, either, because then we could have shared the awkwardness of this situation together. . . . I wonder how she's coping with it over at her private school, as I'm sure she_ _must_ _have heard about all of this by now,_ Elyon pondered within faint forlornness, as she'd then entered the usual, already crowded courtyard, where she'd eat lunch everyday with Alchemy and their other mutual friends.

She immediately felt out of place all over again, feeling a tad naked from all of the sounds of tittering teenagers discussing "Sailor V and her new comrades" this, and "Sailor V and her new comrades" that, with profound animation all around her.

"Thank goodness there are only three more periods after this one, because I don't honestly know how much more of this I can ta -" Elyon softly began to herself with unease, cutting herself off and cheeks instantly growing aflame, as she'd then overheard an unknown male senior unknowingly refer to her alter ego as "pretty hot, from what you can make out from the picture."

_Hmm . . . maybe there are some potential_ _upsides_ _to this whole thing, after all_ , the platinum blonde couldn't help but think upon having unintentionally eavesdropped about the fleeting conversation, a tiny smile slowly creeping upon her still reddening countenance, as she slowly made her way towards her usual lunch table.

She was surprised to see that not only were both Alchemy and Martin already seated there, as Elyon traditionally had a habit of arriving there before the two of them, but the Grumper Twins were accompanying them, as well.

Raising an eyebrow at the sight, Elyon gave a small wave in greeting to her quartet of friends as they'd just then caught sight of her arrival, before sitting down within her usual spot next to Alchemy.

"Hey there, El! What's with the oil marks on the side of your skirt? Were you changing a flat tire for extra credit in gym class earlier, or something?" joked Bess with a playful sneer and point of her skinny, pale finger towards the unfortunately blatant stain in question upon Elyon's right hip.

Looking down momentarily, the blonde softly sighed at the remark, before shaking her head a bit nervously. She, of course, had long since been aware of the unsightly, blackened mark blaring out for all to see, against the white toned skirt in contrast. She had even gotten used to several of the unfunny jests, made at her own expense, by her fellow schoolmates she'd received throughout the day, and near identical to Bess's.

However, it was always the chosen response given to them which had unnerved Elyon most. Seeing as it had been resolved, with all of her in one piece as Csilla, too, had remarked that morning, the naturally caring girl did not wish to alarm anyone who had asked, by letting them know that the blemish had been received due to nearly having been hit by a speeding pickup truck.

There had been enough commotion going on within the school all day, courtesy of Taranee's and her good deeds as Sailors Meridian and Mars, after all. The last thing she'd need was added attention . . . even if, technically, no one honestly knew that both she and Sailormeridian were one and the same.

And so, as she had for the majority of that day about it, Elyon lied.

"O-Oh, _this?_ I guess I must have gotten it when I had taken a seat on a bus bench on the way to school this morning, in order to scrape the bubblegum which had been on the bottom of my sandal - Bad day all around, I suppose, huh?" she revealed as convincingly as she could, adding a small shrug and light chuckle for added effect.

Each of her four friends seemed to have bought the cover story, as the lot of them simultaneously let out mirrored giggles of their own, before nodding within sympathy.

"Seems like it, babe! But I gotta tell ya that that pretty little skirt of yours is kaput, sadly, because I know for _fact_ that _nothing_ gets transmission fluid out of clothes! Just ask our _dad_ , who so tragically 'borrowed' Bess's favorite yellow tube top last summer to wipe his hands with, when he'd found it accidentally lying on the floor in our basement," Courtney shared with a sympathetic smirk, before both she and Bess shivered at the apparently unfortunate memory at the same time.

Elyon merely shrugged within friendly dismissal once more, before turning her attention onto Alchemy, who was warmly smiling back at her. The two had seen each other earlier on that day already, and the pigtailed girl was thankful to both learn and see for herself that her best friend was all right after the dicey events of last Saturday evening.

" _Besides sharing a family unified sort of headache between us for the remainder of the weekend, since we each seemed to have one, we're all just fine. But_ _man_ _, I wish you could have been there, Ellie! Everything was absolutely beautiful and to die for! Well,_ _almost_ _to die for, apparently,"_ the russet haired girl had explained to the previously worried Elyon, during their shared study hall that early morning, causing her to instantly relax at the news, if not still feel a tad guilty for her companion having once again been thrown into danger.

"Well, hey. Maybe you two can both get matching outfits like those two new soldiers who were at Princess Étaín's ball - You know, now that you know without a _doubt_ that I _wasn't_ making things up when I'd said that I saw one of them at my dad's jewelry exhibition not too long ago!" Alchemy remarked with a triumphant sort of grin, flashing it with a bit of overabundance at the red haired, now frowning twins.

Courtney then rolled her soft green eyes and scoffed generously, before responding.

"Yeah, yeah, _yeah_ , already! Didn't we, like, _both_ apologize _numerous_ times to you during English class two periods ago? Methinks it's about time to get _off_ that high horse, there, little missy!" she lightly hissed in between her teeth, before helping herself to a generous spoonful amount of the vanilla flavored pudding she had placed upon her lunch tray of other foods she had purchased earlier. "But, if it'd make you feel even _more_ vindicated to hear it one more time, then _fine_ : We. Are. _Sorry!_ "

Martin, who had been quietly listening to the various conversations unfolding between his friends up until that moment, gave a light chuckle of his own, as he watched the formerly seething Grumper sisters begin to giggle gaily with the still grinning Alchemy.

"Wow! Do I sense a potential catfight on my hands, here?" he comically spoke, picking up his unused napkin from off of the table, and began waving it into the air, as though it were a white flag of surrender. "Maybe I should call the red-schemed soldier babe to rescue me!"

It was Alchemy's turn to roll her eyes upon hearing this, while both Courtney and Bess instantly wrinkled their noses in disgust, and Elyon honestly couldn't help but to giggle. It appeared as though no matter _what_ identity she assumed, Martin would continue to have the now pretty obvious crush upon the very talented Taranee.

_I've gotta tell her about this, sometime_ , the blonde thought within continued humor, as her pixie-cut haired friend spoke.

"Yeah, I'd bet you'd just _love_ that, wouldn't you, Marty? You could have Sailor R make all the hurt just go away," she mockingly cooed at the now blushing Martin from across the lunch table, before she took a sip of her cherry flavored soda.

At this, Elyon abruptly stopped laughing, and blinked within confusion.

"'Sailor R?'" she asked within honest inquiry, turning her traditionally messy head towards her best friend on her left.

Alchemy merely smiled broadly, before nodding.

"Mmhm! I figure it's better than just calling the both of them 'unknown Sailor V-like women' forever and ever, until they either appear again, or the media somehow learns of their real names," she began casually, leaning forward to take a sip of the warm clam chowder she'd brought from home. "So, in the meantime, I've decided to dub the 'red-schemed soldier,' as Martin, there, put it, 'Sailor R,' short for ' _Sailorred_ ,' obviously."

Elyon could only slowly nod within mild understanding, before a faint simper began to form upon her fair visage. She began to wonder what Taranee would say to her newfound nickname, once she'd shared it with her when she saw her again.

Moreover, the young teenager then began to ponder what it was perhaps Alchemy or their other fellow schoolmates were beginning to call her _own_ alter ego. Apparently, so too, was Bess, because before anyone else could have asked, Elyon heard her say, " _'Sailorred?_ ' Wow! I really, _really_ hope that's _not_ her name for real, or else I'm _totally_ losing the respect I'm already starting to have for her! What, then, shall we call her _companion_ , O Namer of Names?"

"Ooh, wait! Lemme guess! 'Sailor _B_ ,' for 'Sailorblue,' right? O-Or, how 'bout _this!_ 'Sailor C.O.S.R.,' for 'Sailor Comrade of Sailorred!'" Courtney immediately chimed in before Alchemy could reply, gleefully contributing to the friendly teasing of the girl's mildly creative dub names to the mysterious new soldiers.

Martin, having apparently recovered for the unwanted attention being brought to his newfound, apparent affections for the one now known as "Sailorred," discreetly hid the soft snickers now beginning to emit from him with the back of his hand, as he watched (with admittedly slight satisfaction) Alchemy's lightly tanned face scrunch up within indignation.

Setting down her spoon back into her warm meal, the rust haired girl then folded her bare arms across her still developing chest with a pout, before shaking her head.

"Hardy har _har!_ No, thanks. That's _not_ what I was thinking of calling the other one! I was actually thinking of calling _her_ . . . 'Sailor _P_ ,' for 'Sailorpetite,' for now," she tentatively revealed, much to her (as well as _Elyon's_ , unknowingly, of course) chagrin, as she'd then instantly regretted it the moment she'd caught sight of the twins' puckered up lips.

Before another word could have been said, each sister simultaneously let out the generous laugh which had been previously trapped behind said lips, and began yet another round of guffawing at their friend's expense.

"' _Sailorpetite?_ ' Holy _cow!_ That's even _better_ than 'Sailorred!' Don't quit your day job, Al!" Courtney remarked in between her ongoing laughter, wiping away a stray tear which had then escaped from her left eye.

" _Y-Yeah!_ While you're at it, though, why not call her 'Sailor P,' for ' _Sailorpintsized?_ ' O-Or 'Sailor _R_ ,' too, but for ' _Sailorrunt?_ ' _Classic!"_ contributed Bess with delicious relish as she struggled to catch her breath, the natural mean streak that both she and her sister shared and usually only reserved for those they both truly despised beginning to come out in that moment.

Both Alchemy, and especially Elyon, frowned deeply throughout the entire jesting, courtesy of both Grumper Twins, looking about the table as their remaining friends continued to chortle uncontrollably or, as was the case with Martin, "mysteriously" possessing a deeply reddened face partially hidden behind his hand.

_God . . . now I_ _really_ _wish that that reporter had never gotten Taranee's or my picture in our Guardian forms! At least_ _she's_ _being called 'Sailorred,' something I'd be_ _more_ _than willing to live with, myself. But, nooo!_ _I_ _get stuck with 'Sailor P,' for '_ _Sailorpetite_ _!' Ugh, I just_ _had_ _to be short. . . ._ the platinum blonde silently sulked, roughly biting off a piece of the banana she'd pulled out of her lunch bag and had unpeeled a few minutes before.

Unable to stand the ongoing mortification (even if no one had rightfully been aware of it) any longer, Elyon began to rapidly tap against the top of the lunch table with her free hand, in order to properly seize the unanimous attention of her friends.

" _H-Hey!_ If we're all done talking about pet names for the new 'dynamic duo' and all, can we _please_ talk about something _new_ now?" she asked a bit evenly, despite her best efforts to conceal her anger, which caused the lot of her companions to instantly cease within their laughter, or own upset, as was the case for Alchemy.

". . . . _Yikes!_ Who chewed off _your_ head this morning?" Courtney ventured within tight-lipped inquiry, exhaling loudly on purpose before returning to her lunch.

" _Yeah_ , what do you have against talking about the 'dynamic duo,' as you'd put it? Hmm . . . that's actually not a bad nickname, there. Hey, Alchemy! Maybe, from now on, you should let _Elle_ , here, take care of the names, eh?" Bess added with an initial scowl, before slowly smirking in leftover teasing of her other friend.

Alchemy groaned generously at this, before slapping a hand to her face, and slowly dragged it back down.

" _Okay_ , I get it! My names are _lame!_ But no one said _you_ had to use them, now did they? _Exactly!_ So pipe down, already!" she fired back, blindly kicking Bess's shin from underneath the table, at her place next to a smiling Martin. " _I'm_ gonna keep calling them that, just fine, until their actual names are found out, myself. In the meantime, I wholeheartedly agree with Elyon: Who has some new gossip to dish out, _besides_ what happened at Princess Étaín's ball this past weekend? I've honestly had all I can handle hearing about that for one day, really. . . ."

Breathing an instant sigh of relief that the previous and admittedly infernal subject was at last going to change, Elyon gave a small smile towards her best friend for a moment, before silence had then unexpectedly claimed the entire lunch table.

_Don't tell me that the_ _one_ _time I really need the twins to go to work with their usual rumor mill and what have you, they've for once run_ _dry_ _!_ thought the dirty blonde in disbelief, as she, Alchemy, and even Martin looked over at the two sisters expectantly.

Catching each of their glances, Courtney blinked in surprise, pausing a moment before being the first to speak.

". . . . _W-What?_ So, _really?_ _None_ of you have anything to contribute? Well, definitely not _you_ , Martin, since you'll probably just bore us to death with one of your lame-o comic book convention stories again. But the _rest_ of you have nothing good? How _sad_ , B! It looks as though, once _again_ , you and I will have to come to the rescue with some more of our usually titillating tales!" the cherry haired girl pompously remarked within her usual rudeness, although a soft smile had curiously then formed upon her freckled countenance, just as a dreamy expression mysteriously graced Bess's.

" _H-Hey!_ I'll have you know that those comic book conventions have _loads_ of action and stories to unfold! Heh, heh! _Get_ it? See, because it's a convention for _comic books_ , a-and I'd said that they have 'loads of action and stor -'"

"- _Yes_ , Marty, we got it . . . _unfortunately_ ," Alchemy lightly cut off her old friend, who was nonetheless still chuckling at his own inside joke, before resuming his meal. The relatively outspoken girl then shifted her attention back onto the Grumper Twins, who were beginning to faintly blush, for reasons unbeknownst to both she and Elyon . . . and perhaps Martin, as well, if he had been honestly paying attention, or even cared, for that matter. "You two 'lovely ladies' suddenly look as though you'd both been struck by Cupid's Arrow out of nowhere. So, _spill_ it!"

Without hesitation, both redheads swiftly dove for their backpacks in response, causing Elyon to believe, for a moment, that the two were _literally_ going to spill everything onto the courtyard's pavement. But then, seconds later, the twins had straightened their postures once more, before abruptly slamming what looked to be two photographs onto the lunch table.

"You may be totally _right_ about Cupid having snagged me and Court with one of his heavenly arrows, Al, because we've like, been under _this_ angel's spell since the moment we'd both laid eyes on him!" Bess gushed with girlish exuberance, before reaching across the table to clasp her slightly older sister's hands and began to squeal alongside her.

Courtney vigorously nodded in agreement, bouncing up and down within her seat next to Alchemy in excitement.

"Ohh, my God, for _sure!_ He is _the_ hottest thing to have ever walked the _planet!"_ she added in between swooning, as both Elyon and Alchemy slowly reached out for the temporarily discarded photographs still lying freely upon the lunch table.

At this, Martin looked up from his half eaten tuna casserole and groaned heavily.

"Awww, _man!_ We're doing 'Boy Talk' now, aren't we? It's a good thing I'd brought the latest comic book issue of ' _Metal Man: Defender of All_ ' with me, then," he said with an added sigh of relief, before promptly reaching into his own book bag to retrieve the piece of literature in question to begin reading.

All four of his female friends merely gave the cornflower haired boy a momentary glance and sigh, before leaving him to his own devices, as it were.

"Sooo . . . okay. You girls are now in love with some cute boy . . . whom you're apparently already _stalking_ , seeing as you have photographical evidence of his existence - _Clearly_ taken without his knowing, _or_ consent, I'm sure," Alchemy teased with a wink, as she continued to study the picture within her hands of the young man in question.

Elyon, meanwhile, began to do the same for the one she currently had within her possession. Hers, too, seemed to have been taken rather candidly, as the newfound object of both the Grumpers' affection was not looking within the direction of wherever their camera had been.

In fact, he'd appeared to be too busy being swarmed by a gaggle of teenage, and even slightly older looking girls, all of whom were grinning uncontrollably and each had the same lovesick expression both Courtney and Bess had donned not too long ago, themselves.

Elyon could not make out the area all of them within the photograph had been, but surmised that wherever it was definitely had a swimming pool nearby, as the tall, young man's caramel colored and toned body was positively drenched with water from head to toe.

_And, of course, those white colored speedos and yellow swim cap he's got on there are also a dead giveaway_ , the blonde silently noted within afterthought, feeling her cheeks growing warm the longer she gazed upon them. She then forced herself to instead fix her curious gaze upon the unknown swimmer's generous, flawless smile, and sparkling light brown eyes.

". . . . Well, he's certainly easy on the eyes," Elyon heard herself blurting out before she could stop herself, immediately blushing profusely as all three of her girlfriends promptly gazed upon her in surprise, while Martin, who apparently was now far too engrossed within his reading, did nothing to react, with the exception of shoveling another forkful of his lunch into his mouth in that same moment.

"Ah! I totally _knew_ you guys would fall for him once you got a look at him, too! And you didn't even see him in _person_ yet, like how me and Courtney luckily have!" Bess said with a sharp, although approving gasp, pointing a finger out towards her pigtailed friend, who couldn't help but to slowly sink into her seat within furthered abashment.

"N-No, I-I _don't!_ I mean, I think he's very cute, sure, b-but I'm not in _love_ with the guy or anything like that!" Elyon stammered within defense, lightly tossing the photograph from out of her hands and back onto the table for added emphasis.

_Yeah . . . because I'm in love with_ _Cedric_ _, of course . . . and . . . and maybe. . . ._ she began to think in silent reflection of the friendly and handsome ponytailed blonde in question, before losing her focus, as Alchemy's familiar voice broke through it.

"Aww, _forget_ about it, Ellie! No need to explain, since _I_ , at least, understand that one _measly_ comment about the . . . rather obvious hotness, I will admit, myself, of the twins' apparently mutual future _husband_ doesn't mean you're all _gaga_ for him now like _they_ are," she kindly defended her best friend further, resting a comforting hand upon the smaller girl's shoulder, while handing back the other photograph to a surprisingly still beaming Courtney next to her.

" _Noooo_ problem here! I mean, B and I _already_ have enough competition as it is, as I'm sure you've both noticed within each picture. _Stupid_ hussies. . . ." the wavy haired teenager remarked with a bitter tone tailing the end of her sentence, turning to her twin sister, who sadly nodded within agreement. "But, no matter! We're both _very_ confident that we'll win the title of 'Girlfriend of Wiley Amato!' Well, _one_ of us will, anyway . . . unless he doesn't mind having _two_ irresistible women on each of his arms, that is!"

Both Grumpers began to giggle furiously at this, cupping the both of their faces, as another, generous rouge flooded their cheeks. Meanwhile, both Elyon and Alchemy offered crooked smiles in support to their friends' overabundant affections for the one apparently known as Wiley Amato.

True, the two sisters had been known throughout the years to slightly overdo it a tad whenever the opposite sex was concerned, sometimes going to great lengths to seize the attention of their hopeful intendeds. And of course, Elyon, and even the usually levelheaded _Alchemy_ would sometimes fall prone to the idiocies their unruly hormones would see fit to plague them with, as well.

However, there just seemed to be something different and . . . almost _off_ with the girls' latest crush, or how they were expressing it, anyway. It seemed that way to _Elyon_ , at least, as she personally had never seen either twin get so worked up over a boy before . . . that she could recall, that is.

_And they've certainly never taken_ _snapshots_ _of any of them before in the past, either . . . well, not that I know of, anyhow_ , she thought within furthered reflection, before clearing her throat to speak.

". . . . Okay. Well, then, in that case . . . who _is_ he, exactly? Where and when did you two meet him?" she asked out of honest curiosity and intrigue, Alchemy slightly nodding her head next to her within mutual interest.

Apparently that had been the million dollar question for the Grumper sisters, as they were then all too happy to oblige an explanation, as the two then simultaneously pushed the blood red colored lunch trays filled with their half-eaten lunches aside, before leaning in towards the other pair of females at the table.

" _Well_ -!" the twins both began together, continuing to mimic one another in not just their physical appearance, alone. Both Alchemy and Elyon softly giggled at the sight, while Bess frowned at her older twin.

"Can _I_ tell it this time? I swear, I feel like _any_ time there's new dirt to dish out, _you're_ always the one who gets to serve it _first_ , sis!" she claimed with a small huff, as Courtney merely smiled back at her now pouting sister and best friend.

"Well, maybe you should learn to be _quicker_ from now on, then, B. But, if you insist, go right ahead - _Either_ way, Wiley's _still_ fantastically hot, no matter _who_ gets to talk about him, after all," she replied with a faint coo, before reaching out to playfully tug at Bess's short and bone-straight ruby locks.

Bess promptly squealed with delight at this, before loudly clearing her throat, as though gearing up for telling a rather long tale, which, as far as Elyon had been concerned afterward, it had turned out to be.

" _Oooh!_ So, okay! Like me and Court already told you guys, his name is Wiley Amato. Eighteen-years-old, a Freshman at Marigold University downtown, here in good ol' Heatherfield - Thank the _Lord_ for that, of course - and like, a _total_ genius when it comes to swimming!" she began in between fits of giggles, once again bouncing up and down within her seat. "Yeah! See, me and Courtney first found out about his glorious existence about two weeks ago, from our older cousin, Graham, when he came to pick us up from the arcade one time. Instead of dropping us off straight home as planned, he said he had to make a quick pit stop at the 'Seasonal Recreation Center' - Y'know, the one over on Lita Way - to return some workout equipment to a friend of his . . . _Wiley_. _Oooh!_ Just _saying_ his name gives me the tingles! Heh, heh!

A-Anyway, so like, since it was pretty _boring_ waiting in the car for him, Court and me went in after Graham - And thank _God_ we did, or else we never would have known that Greek Gods still _exist!_ I don't know about _Courtney_ , here, but once _I'd_ first laid eyes on Wiley . . . all muscular . . . _wet_ from having just gotten out of the swimming pool that's there . . . and, just . . . overall _yumtastic_ , my mind just completely shut down. All I could hear was music . . . _wedding_ music, in fact, heh, heh. . . .

So, it's a miracle, honestly, that I can even _remember_ the introductions Graham had given to us, once he saw that we'd followed him inside. Yeah, like, he and Wiley go to the same college, so that's how they know each other - Well, besides sometimes working out at the gym together, I guess. Apparently, hottielicious Wiley was this really big, overall superstar athlete at his high school, back in Arizona where he's originally from! So when he came here, he was telling Graham how he wanted to get into better shape, so he could be prepared for tryouts for the male swim team in the spring!"

"Yep! And he's there at that rec center, every day around three o'clock, practicing his cute, well-toned _butt_ off! And B and I are _right_ there, watching him any chance we can!" Courtney chimed in after sensing the completion of her twin sister's side of the story, watching her then take a generous sip of her chocolate milk. "Only thing that _totally_ sucks now, though, is that lately there have been a huge crowd of stupid fans - _Girls_ \- coming to watch Wiley swim. At first it was girls _and_ guys, sure, fine, whatever. You know, the annoying, wannabe girlfriends cheering him on, while the guys _just_ . . . cheered, or whatever, I don't know. But then, like, for the last few days, it's just been freaking girls, girls, _girls_ , coming in there and invading _our_ territory! That's one of the reasons why we didn't honestly tell you two about Wiley 'till now, really; like me and Bess honestly need even _more_ rivals, like we said. . . ."

Letting out a low exhale, trying her absolute best to maintain interest within her friends' apparent plight, Elyon then licked her partially dry lips, about to speak at last, when Alchemy beat her to it.

"Ha, ha! How very _like_ the two of you to keep things you feel will benefit you _most_ to yourselves. No worries, though, since, for _me_ , at least, while this Wiley guy _does_ sound - And certainly _looks_ , based upon your photographs, there - rather fetching, you know I generally go for the rocker-types . . . or _blondes_ , maybe," she said with a small, knowing smile, as Elyon was aware that she was most assuredly referring to their unfortunate dual crush, Cedric. "But _anyway_ , whenever either of you manages to snag him and then sets a wedding date, be sure to let me and Ellie know of _that_ , at least, okay?"

Courtney surprisingly looked hurt by this, as she tilted her wavy haired head to the side slightly.

"Aww, no _fun!_ And here, we were honestly going to ask you two to come with us after school today, to check him out - And I _do_ mean, check him out!" she revealed with a click of her tongue.

Elyon blinked with perplexity.

"Huh? But I thought you'd just said that you didn't even _want_ either of us to know about Wiley, because you didn't want added competition?" she asked within valid point, at last taking another bite of her temporarily forgotten banana.

"Well, _yeah!_ But, to be honest? As it currently stands, even though we'd personally been introduced to him by our cousin Graham, it doesn't really seem like Wiley even knows me and Courtney _exist_ , sadly. . . . Well, not like we're admittedly brave enough to go up to him and strike up conversation any time we're there at the rec center with him, _either_ ," Bess sheepishly confessed with a crooked smile, looking at Courtney, who merely nodded with a defeated air. "So . . . that's why we thought we may as well invite you along! _That_ way, it won't be _as_ depressing anymore, just sitting there on the bleachers, like _always_ , trying our best to get his attention, short of walking right up to him, of course. . . . So, what do you say? Will you come with us after school today to see him?"

Both Elyon and Alchemy instantly felt a great surge of sympathy coursing through them, after having listened to their usually quite haughty companions reveal a little of their more vulnerable side. It especially made Elyon, at least, relate quite well, as she, too, had been experiencing quite the difficult feat of getting Cedric to view her as anything more than just a mere friend. . . .

". . . . I would love to, you guys, and you know that I'd come along, if only to lend my support as your friend like you want, but I kinda promised my folks that I'd come straight home after school today. It was all I could do to get them to let me come at _all_ today, seeing as they've become a bit paranoid now, what with all of the recent and odd things that have been happening to our family and all. . . ." Alchemy revealed with an annoyed sigh, resting her head against her now balled up fist. "But I'll work on them, get them to calm down and go back to normal, I'm sure. Why worry so much when our city now has Sailors V, P, and R, right?"

Elyon couldn't help but to feel at fault for her dear friend's newfound predicament within the home, before it thankfully had given way the moment she'd listened to the girl's continued faith within Sailor V, in addition to Taranee's and her own alter egos.

_No worries at all, Alkie. Because I'll_ _always_ _have your back . . . no matter_ _which_ _form I'm assuming at the time to do it in_ , she thought with a growing smile upon her face, before she, too, took her turn to regrettably decline the Grumper Twins' offer.

"I gotta say no, too, girls, sorry. It's just that I told my mom I'd pick up her dry-cleaning for her on my way home from school. She needs it for an important meeting later on in the week at her job, she said," the pigtailed girl explained softly, watching the two redheads' faces fall in rejection. Seeing this, Elyon quickly added, as a way to lighten the mood, "B-But you can always drag _Martin_ along; that way, you wouldn't be alone, and certainly wouldn't have the added competition you dread!"

At this, the formerly ever silent and reading Martin at last broke free from his seemingly trance-like state upon hearing his name, and was about to say something, when Courtney curiously screeched in alarm.

"O-Oh . . . my . . . _God!_ It's _her!"_ she mysteriously cried, seeming to have chosen to bypass Elyon's jest, as she instead reached out to squeeze Bess's arm to seize her attention, as well.

"W-What? 'Her,' _who?_ " Alchemy asked within the unanimous confusion the rest of their lunch table now shared, with a now honestly frightened looking Courtney's only response being a shaky raise of her right index finger, over Martin's head and towards the dual entranceway and exit of the courtyard.

Following the girl's direction, Elyon and the rest of her friends all turned their attention within that vicinity, her heart nearly stopped when her soft blue eyes rested upon a sight she never thought that she'd ever see again. . . .

"Holy _cow!_ It's the girl who saved me from nearly getting hit by that truck this morning!" she blurted out without thinking, instantly regretting it as she then watched her quartet of companions abruptly whirl their heads back around and towards her in alarm.

"Y-You -! You almost _died_ today, and it's only _now_ you're bothering to let any of us know, Elyon?" Alchemy cried out within righteous upset, resting both of her hands upon her best friend's shoulders.

Elyon immediately began to blush within mixed shame and embarrassment, as she slowly tore her eyes away from the approaching, still unknown redhead who had luckily rescued her from certain peril earlier in the day.

". . . . W-Well . . . I didn't _mean_ to keep it from you guys. Well, I _d-did_ , but _only_ because I didn't want to worry any of you, as you _clearly_ are now!" she weakly explained in apology, biting down onto her lower lip. "But like I said, I was thankfully saved by _that_ girl, there! Never _did_ get her name before she just left the scene this morning, though . . . but how lucky that she apparently goes to our school! Now I can thank her for what she did for me!"

"Are you _mad_ , woman? Maybe that near fatal experience messed with your rationale and overall good _sense_ or something!" Bess squealed within disbelief, frantically clinging to her twin sister from across the lunch table.

"Y-Yeah, for _sure!_ At least we now know _why_ and _how_ you got that transmission fluid on your skirt, there, Elyon! But it _doesn't_ explain why it's just _that_ , and not traces of your own _blood_ on there, instead - _Especially_ if it had been _that_ girl to have supposedly rescued you! _Must_ be a _total_ cover story for her criminal offenses. . . ." Courtney added with a grand shiver, as she and the rest of Elyon's friends returned their attention back onto the bob-haired teenager, who had just then passed by their table without so much of a glance.

In fact, the lone young girl did not seem to allow her honey brown colored eyes to wander within _any_ direction as she slowly walked with undeniable confidence, lightly clutching her shoulder bag with her left hand while having stuffed her right into the pocket of her lightly dirtied cargo shorts.

There was a light frown etched upon her naturally tawny hued countenance as she'd passed, however, Elyon had just managed to catch sight of, as though she either did not wish to be there in that moment, or was aware that nearly half the entire courtyard had grown silent the very moment she had entered.

Whatever the reason, the girl did not seem to let on to it, anyhow, as she merely continued on in her way, towards the far corner of the outdoor area, and to an empty table nearest a row of plastic and brown colored trash receptacles.

_Wow . . . she seems just as mysterious and commanding_ _now_ _as she had this morning when I'd first met her_ , Elyon couldn't help but think, finding herself growing more and more captivated by the unknown redhead.

Suddenly, Courtney quickly snapped her fingers in front of the pigtailed girl's face, causing her to blink rapidly in surprise.

" _Helloooo?_ Earth to Elyon! Did you _hear_ me? You're totally lucky to be _alive_ , you know!" the cherry haired girl gushed after having reclaimed the petite girl's audience, Bess, and even Martin surprisingly nodding within exuberant agreement.

". . . . W-Well, yeah, I _know_. That's what I'd just told y -"

"- No, no, _no!_ That's _not_ what Courtney meant, Ellie! She was referring to the fact that that girl is a coldblooded _murderer!"_ Martin tactfully interrupted his old friend, waving his hand into the air to further silence her. Now that his group of friends were talking about something which apparently interested him at long last, the young intellect was now animated more than ever. "Her name's Wilhelmina Vandom! Yeah, she just got transferred here to Heatherfield, after having been released from _juvie!_ Apparently, she'd killed some poor, _defenseless_ girl, back where she used to live, over in Maine a couple years ago!"

". . . . She sure is tall and strong enough looking to do something like that, at least," Alchemy could be heard lightly murmuring to herself, before abruptly shaking her russet colored head after having caught sight of Elyon's incredulous stare. " _W-What?_ I never said that I _believe_ she did it! I just meant that she certainly doesn't look like she'd be easy to take down in a _fight_ . . . that's all. . . ."

Elyon sighed heavily, instantly frowning within disapproval of each of her friend's ongoing rants and reaction to the apparent new girl known as Wilhelmina.

"Well, that's still all but outright agreeing that she _had!_ And _anyway_ , how _could_ she have? She saved my life just this morning, remember? And, _besides_ that, she looks really _nice_. . . ." she naturally defended, her almost inherent desire to see the good within nearly everyone shining through once more. "And that name . . . ' _Wilhelmina_. . . .' It's so _pretty!_ "

At this, Bess scoffed, watching the girl in question take a seat at her chosen table clear across the courtyard from where the five of them currently sat, themselves.

"Yeah, _right!_ Her folks _should've_ named her ' _Gonna-Getcha_ ,' seeing as that's what she does to _anyone_ who gets in her way," she remarked cruelly, narrowing her green eyes at the unsuspecting girl. "And just _our_ luck that she has to have short red hair, like me and Court! People _better_ not start accusing the two of us of rolling within the same crowd as that _killer_ , now that she's here at our school!"

"Ugh, _totally!_ 'Looks really nice,' my _foot_ , Elle! As nice as a _heart attack_ , you mean!" Courtney added, drumming her fingernails against the table upon locking eyes with a still visibly upset Elyon. "And, it's like I said before: She probably just saved you - In front of a bunch of people, no doubt - as part of a way to deflect what we all already know about her! If we all start to believe that she's some reformed, _innocent_ little girl now, then everyone will be none the wiser when . . . _wham!_ She claims her _next_ victim!"

Martin let out a startled cry at this, before cowering within his seat and staring worriedly towards Wilhelmina's lunch table in the distance.

"I wonder if it would be too late to transfer schools, _myself_. . . ." he whispered in fear, unconsciously beginning to roll up his formerly pristine comic book, and wrung it tightly in between his nervous hands.

Alchemy rested a calming hand upon one of Martin's own from across the table, before looking around the table at her friends.

"H-Hey, now . . . come on, you guys. Maybe . . . maybe Elyon's right, you know? I mean, how do we really know that what's been said about this girl to be true? A-And . . . even _if_ it is, well . . . the juvenile hall she was placed within obviously thought she was rehabilitated well enough to be released back into society . . . right?" she tried to rationalize as best she could, while attempting to conceal her own look of trepidation which was currently riddled across her face.

Both disgusted, as well as fed up with her friends' cruel and, quite possibly, unfair remarks in regard to the new student known as Wilhelmina, Elyon abruptly stood from her seat.

"I can't take this anymore! If _you_ all want to sit around and believe the _silliest_ of stories about someone who, in _my_ book, at least, is an honest _hero_ , then that's fine! But _I'm_ going over there right now, and I'm going to properly _thank_ her for saving my life!" she stated firmly with a determined nod of her blonde head, promptly picking up her belongings and the rest of her lunch, leaving the table before any of her now taken aback companions could say a word.

She certainly didn't expect any of them to go after her, not after having effortlessly displayed each of their evident fear of the fairly tall redhead, and so she knew she was more or less on her own now.

_But that's all right, because I'm_ _sure_ _that Wilhelmina_ _isn't_ _who everyone believes her to be . . . I_ _hope_ , Elyon couldn't help but to think with a sheepish smile to herself, before promptly waving the momentary doubt away from her mind, as she slowly made her way over to the lone, young teenager in the nearing distance.

With her back facing Elyon, Wilhelmina didn't honestly seem yet aware that she now had an unexpected visitor to her otherwise empty lunch table as the smaller girl approached . . . and Elyon was admittedly a bit nervous to make her presence known quite yet.

_. . . . M-Maybe I shouldn't bother her . . . I mean, she obviously wants to be alone_ , the blue eyed girl thought within weakened attempts to find a reason to excuse herself from the rather hasty decision she had made minutes before.

As she was about to turn, and go back the way she had come, something had then caught Elyon's eye. It was Wilhelmina's lunchbox, quite honestly . . . however, it was more than that. It had been the girl's actual lunch, itself, which Elyon curiously found so intriguing.

_Oooh, her food looks so pretty and delicious! Not at all what I'd envision a tomboy-looking girl like her to have!_ the fourteen-year-old mused with a tiny smile, taking in the sight of the small row of petite finger sandwiches which were daintily decorated with what looked to be leafy stems crisscrossing the top of each.

On the right side of the olive colored lunchbox was a seemingly never-ending supply of what looked to be tiny, flaky cinnamon buns sprinkled with powdered sugar, rather than the usual runny syrups or frostings Elyon would see within bakeries or supermarkets.

Even the redhead's beverage seemed to be something to behold, as well, as the cap of the rather adorable looking and frog decorated thermos she had with her held a light red, sparkling liquid, with what looked like cherries and pieces of mint sprigs floating within it.

Truly, there appeared to be more to this girl than meets the eye. . . .

As though suddenly having sensed her presence, Wilhelmina then abruptly turned around within her seat, flashing a darkened stare at the intruder for a moment and causing Elyon to jump within startled surprise, before her gaze instantly began to relax upon recognizing the other girl.

". . . . Oh . . . you're the girl from this morning," Wilhelmina quietly said, although with the same undeniable confidence she'd exuded earlier that day. She didn't honestly seem even the slightest bit surprised to see Elyon again, or the fact that the two apparently attended the same high school, either. ". . . . You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

Elyon swiftly nodded in apology, suddenly feeling as though she were speaking to one of her teachers, her parents, or someone else of the general authoritative variety.

"O-Okay! R-Right, I'm sorry about that!" she replied in nervousness, her heart beginning to beat fast behind her breastplate as her palms became sweaty. Expecting the taller girl to honestly resume her eating, thereby ignoring Elyon, or to simply tell her off, even, Wilhelmina instead slowly began to flash the now blushing girl a warm smile before speaking once more.

". . . . Well, anyway . . . I'm glad to see that you seem all right," she said lightly, before nodding her crimson colored head towards Elyon's dirtied clothing. "That is, with the exception of your skirt, there. . . . All _I_ got was some dirt and mud on my _own_ clothes, although one of my sneakers ended up getting torn a bit. And it was one of my favorite pairs, too. . . ."

Elyon was honestly so caught off guard by the alleged murderer's unprompted candidness, that she quite admittedly lost her voice for a few moments. Instead, she just merely stood there, like a mime, almost, unable to respond in any sort of way, other than merely staring back at Wilhelmina with widened eyes.

Suddenly beginning to feel a bit awkward, herself, Wilhelmina softly cleared her throat before asking, ". . . . Would you like to sit down . . . um. . . ."

" _O-Oh!_ E-Elyon! My name is _Elyon!_ Elyon Brown, and _thanks_ , Wilhelmina!" Elyon quickly responded, at last finding her voice once more and snapping out of her temporary stupor, as she swiftly moved around the girl's table to take a seat across from her.

She could then feel practically the entire courtyard of students, including her friends, watching them both, and did her very best to block it out as she slowly set her bagged lunch onto the table before her. Wilhelmina blinked in surprise, raising a cardinal hued eyebrow for added emphasis.

". . . . It's nice to meet you, Elyon, but . . . how did you know my name?" she inquired with curiosity, tilting her flaming red head to the side.

Elyon gave a sheepish grin at this, and waved a hand into the air before responding.

"E-Er, well . . . m-my friends told me, actually! _Yeah!_ I guess they have a few classes with you, or something!" she partially lied in reply, obviously not wishing to bring up the rather hurtful rumors about the redhead that she, herself, was still pretty unsure were true.

Wilhelmina's soft brown eyes suddenly darkened upon hearing this, causing them to momentarily lose the great brilliance and shine that they'd seemed to naturally possess, as she slowly looked away.

". . . . I see," she spoke, barely above a whisper, as she continued to keep her eyes downcast.

Sensing the other girl's obviously growing upset, clearly well aware of what their fellow students have been thus far saying about her, Elyon gazed worriedly upon her, before flashing a generous smile her way.

". . . . U-Uh, yeah! And I was busy telling them all about how you saved my life this morning, like a brave _superhero_ , just like Sailor V!" she complimented kindly, watching with relieved delight as Wilhelmina slowly began to look back up at her and softly smiled in return, the light within her brown eyes returning. "I never _did_ get the chance to thank you for that, either, by the way, so . . . _thanks_ , Wilhelmina!"

Wilhelmina surprisingly let out a gentle, appreciative laugh at this, a very faint, but still detectable rouge beginning to grace her naturally tanned visage.

"Ah, well . . . it was nothing, really. I was just there at the right time, was all. I _definitely_ wouldn't say that I was acting like a 'superhero,' though, either," she said within light dismissal of the other girl's praise, shifting within her seat. She paused for a moment, before a new thought seemed to have then come to her. "O-Oh. And you can just call me ' _Will_ ,' instead of 'Wilhelmina,' Elyon. I honestly never cared too much for my full name, really."

"Really? But it's so _cute_ , and suits you so well, Wilhel - I-I mean, _Will!_ It's a lot better than _mine_ , anyway, or _especially_ my middle name, for sure," Elyon spoke with a bitter tone in reflection of the names her parents had chosen for their only child. The more she continued talking with Will, the less apprehensive she'd felt, and the more she found herself liking her.

And, for the most part, it seemed like to Elyon, Will felt the same way, which made the smile upon her creamy complexion to broaden even further, as a result.

Silence abruptly claimed the two teenagers despite this, however, which caused Elyon to begin playing awkwardly with one of her blonde pigtails, as she struggled to think of something new to discuss. And it didn't help much that Will did not seem readily able to come up with a new topic, either, or the fact that she curiously began to stare at her, as though having only just now realized that the smaller girl was at her lunch table.

". . . . W-What's wrong, Will?" Elyon pondered aloud, feeling her cheeks growing flush once again. Will merely slowly shook her red colored head within dismissal, before gently smiling as a way to calm the girl's nerves.

"Nothing . . . it's just that, well, you're honestly the first person to talk to me since I've arrived on campus this morning - Well, besides _teachers_ , I guess," she revealed carefully, reaching out to lightly play with her open thermos.

Elyon wasn't sure whether or not to own up to the fact that she, too, was aware of the things which had been said about the redhead and already circulating fast throughout the high school, or to venture another lie for the sake of the girl's feelings, as well as their hopefully budding friendship.

And so, as a result, she hesitated for a few moments, as she struggled to come up with the most appropriate response.

". . . . It's all right, you know. I can tell that you've probably heard what I'm sure everyone _else_ has about me," Will stated as evenly as she could manage, although her eyes slightly betrayed her indifference, as a brief flash of pain had been visible within them.

Feeling horrible, Elyon immediately shook her pigtailed head vigorously, reaching out to seize one of Will's hands without thinking.

"N-No, _way_ , Will! I-I mean, _yes_ , I'd heard about them, but I _definitely_ don't believe one word of it!" she began within firm resolution, both girls beginning to blush softly as they'd simultaneously focused upon Elyon's hand upon Will's own. She then awkwardly pulled it away, before clearing her throat in order to continue. "S-Sorry. . . .! A-Anyway, I just can't see you that way! They're all lies, right?"

Faintly smiling for a moment, Will merely gave a slight shrug, before reaching out to pick up one of her formerly forgotten finger sandwiches.

". . . . Whatever. I don't feel like explaining," she responded firmly, the confidence otherwise always laced within her voice returning. Rather than feeling a bit put off or taken aback by this sudden change in attitude, Elyon only smiled brightly once again at the redhead before her, before giggling gently.

". . . . You're so . . . so . . . what's the word? Ah! So ' _tomboyish!_ '" she unexpectedly remarked with a continued laugh, watching with delight as Will once again raised and then dropped her strong shoulders in response, while she took a small bite of the sandwich within her hand.

While she would have liked to have heard the redhead's own side of the story, Elyon wasn't about to push it. After all, the two had just met, and she had also saved her life. So, it wasn't as though Will owed her anything, naturally; if anything, it was _Elyon_ who owed _her_ , to be technical.

For now, at least, the blonde was merely pleased with the opportunity to get to know the increasingly fascinating Will Vandom, bit by bit.

Somehow, Elyon had had a feeling that Will wouldn't have grown offended by her previous remark of being rather boyish in her observant opinion, and it seemed to be the case, as the bob-haired girl just continued on within her eating for a few moments in content, before bothering to speak again.

"You know? People have always said that about me throughout the years, growing up," she said with a tiny, reflective smile, pausing momentarily before she suddenly set down her half eaten sandwich onto the lunch table, and lifted her still pretty full lunchbox to the other girl seated across from her. ". . . . Would you like some, Elyon?"

"R-Really? You mean, you don't mind, Will?" Elyon asked in surprise, flashing an appreciative smile at the continually hospitable girl before her. She admittedly had been sort of hoping that Will would have offered her some of her delectably looking meal, as her _own_ , by comparison (which was nothing more than a half-eaten banana, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and gradually warming milk), was something far less to be desired.

Will nodded firmly, returning the smile.

"Mmhm! It's all right. I always have a habit of making big portions of the food I prepare, anyway. I don't know, I guess because it just never seems to taste as good if I just make enough for myself, you know? So, I always have plenty," she explained lightly, waving her free hand towards the decoratively edible lunchbox. "I just hope you like 'Crab, Avocado, and Watercress' sandwiches, 'Cinnamon and Cardamom' buns' for dessert, and 'Cranberry-Apple Spritzer' as a drink. . . ."

Hesitating for a split second, primarily at the word "avocado," Elyon promptly shunned it away the moment she felt her stomach beginning to grumble, rather loudly at that. While she wasn't an admitted fan of the green colored fruit, she was always open to trying new things . . . especially when she was starving, she realized.

And so, without another word, Elyon eagerly reached out for not just one, but two of Will's expertly prepared finger sandwiches, and took a generous bite of one of them before the other girl could even blink.

"Mmmm!" was all the petite blonde could manage, as she happily began to chew the zesty, crunchy, yet creamy and smooth sandwich within her mouth, before setting down the other one on top of her now useless lunch bag.

Will couldn't help but softly giggle at the sight, honestly pleased that the other girl seemed to enjoy her cooking.

"I take it, then, that that means you like it?" she asked for the fun of it, the answer being rather evident upon Elyon's face, in addition to through her actions. "You don't honestly look like you have a big appetite, really. You know, being kind of on the 'small' side, and all. . . ."

"Heh, heh! Woo fhould shee me aht one uhf mah fwiends' swumber pahties!" Elyon said with a grin in between chewing, after having stuffed the rest of her first finger sandwich into her mouth. She watched as Will slowly raised an eyebrow within confusion, clearly unable to understand the other girl. And so, she quickly swallowed the remnants of the food, before trying again. "O-Oh, sorry! I said that you should see me at one of my friends' slumber parties!"

Will merely shook her crimson hued head, gently smiling once more.

"And you said that _I'm_ so 'tomboyish?'" she lightly teased, pushing the olive colored lunchbox towards Elyon even further, before taking another bite of her own finger sandwich. "Here. Help yourself, Elyon! Don't forget to try the cinnamon buns, too!"

The two began to eat, this time within a much more comfortable silence, for the next several minutes. If it had been a competition to see who could have eaten the most finger sandwiches or cinnamon buns, Elyon would have been the supreme victor, hands down, as she had eaten so many she'd honestly lost count.

After the last crab, avocado and watercress sandwich had vanished, and the sole remaining cinnamon and cardamom bun had been polished off, Will chose to speak once again.

". . . . Say, Elyon . . . do you know of any shopping centers or supermarkets nearby? The one I'd gone to the other day was practically within the neighboring _district_ , and by the time I'd gotten back to my home it ended up taking me _two hours_ because I'd gotten lost on the way," she explained quietly, taking a slow sip of the cranberry-apple seltzer beverage the two teenagers continued to share with one another, with Elyon having poured out her warm milk from out of its tiny carton in order to refill it with the deliciously tangy treat.

Pausing to think for a moment, Elyon then eagerly nodded, grinning widely.

"Yup, I do! I actually know quite a _few_ of them, to tell the truth, as shopping - _Especially_ with my best friend, Alchemy - is one of my favorite pastimes!" she began with a reflective giggle, as Will merely nodded in understanding. "But, there are honestly too many to name. _All_ of them are pretty good, of course, but I suppose it depends upon your level of necessity and priority. . . ."

Will lowered her thermos's dual cap and cup away from her face then, tilting her head to the side.

"Huh? How do you mean?"

Elyon exhaled lightly in good nature, before leaning back within her seat.

"Well, if you're anything like _me_ \- Which, to be honest, I don't think that that's the case, in _this_ instance, anyway - if you want to try to stay 'hip to the times,' as it were, but within an affordable price range, then you'll wanna head over to Fifth and Lexington, where they have a _great_ little plaza with the latest fashions for us teens!

And _then_ , for the fortunately _rich_ folks, there's this _super_ posh shopping center over on Eighth and Vine, where the prices are _so_ high it just makes you wanna _cry!_ Especially when you see the awesomely awesome clothing and accessories they sell over there! Only _wealthy_ kids, like the wonderful Cornelia Hale, or perhaps even my new friend, Taranee Cook - I _think_ , anyway, as I haven't honestly outright asked her, 'Oh, hey! By the way: Are you _loaded?_ ', since that obviously would be rude, of course - could shop there! So, I guess _that_ place is out, and -"

"- U-Uh, _thanks_ , Elyon, but I'm not truthfully concerned about the prices," Will interrupted with an appreciative smile, taken aback by the other girl's ample willingness to help, and vigor in doing so. "That is, I just would like to find an area that sells clothes - The kind of clothes _I'm_ into, that is - and maybe has a supermarket nearby, and _both_ are only just a couple of blocks away from where I live, if I'm _lucky_. . . ."

Elyon nodded in understanding, thinking a moment.

"Hmm . . . well, where _do_ you live, anyway, Will? Not to pry or anything, but I mean, this _is_ Florida, after all! Unless you live within a 'yet-to-be-fully-developed' area, there's always _some_ kind of shopping center not too far around the corner, ya know?" she reflected jovially, lightly giggling before catching the sudden pensive expression upon Will's tawny face.

"Um. . . ." she tentatively began, before Elyon frantically waved both of her hands into the air, a sheepish smile now upon her face.

"No, no! Sorry about that, Will! I guess that really _was_ prying, anyway, huh? You don't have to say if you don't want to!" the dishwater blonde spoke hurriedly in apology, not wishing to cause any sort of upset for her newfound friend.

Will seemed rather appreciative of this, as she slowly nodded in understanding before relaxing.

". . . . Yeah . . . thanks, Elyon. It isn't that I don't want to say where I live . . . it's just that, I don't think it'd be that easy for anyone to understand, seeing as I have to live by myself. . . ." she revealed faintly, looking away from the now taken aback girl.

" _R-Really_ , Will? No, _way!_ How come? And aren't you like, _my_ age? You're what, fourteen, fifteen?" Elyon couldn't help but ask so many questions at once before she could stop herself, her curiosity and desire to get to know the mysterious newcomer overpowering her better judgment.

Will sighed lightly upon hearing each inquiry, frowning softly before shrugging.

"I'm fourteen-years-old, yeah, Elyon, and yes, I _do_ live by myself, although I don't really feel like explaining _that_ , either. . . ." she replied within dismissal, her voice once again growing strong, as she raised her gaze to meet Elyon's. ". . . . Look. Where I live, there's this pretty huge park that it overlooks from across the street, if that'll help you figure out any shopping areas nearby there. It's called . . . 'City Hall Park,' I think."

Rather than being put off by the abrupt change within the girl's demeanor yet again, Elyon simply smiled, before gasping within recognition at the vicinity's description.

"A-Ah! I know that park! Well, where it is, anyway! That's over in downtown Heatherfield, actually, when I think of it. I don't travel there a lot, seeing as that'd be around a forty-five minute bus ride from my house; I'd gone through there about twice with my mom in the past, when she had to do a drop-off at the branch that's there for the art museum she works in. She's an art curator, by the way," she said within recollection, nodding slightly to herself. "Hmm, okay. . . . Oh, _yeah!_ There's actually this really cute marketplace, that's just around three blocks away from that park! Me and my mom went there for lunch, and did a little bit of clothes and grocery shopping afterward one time, too. Now, what was it called . . . oh, right! 'Kino Plaza Shopping Mall!' It has everything you could possibly want _or_ need there, too, for the most part! And _then_ , right next to it, pretty much, is a supermarket called 'Alderman's,' one of _hundreds_ placed within this fair city of ours, I'm sure. . . ."

Just then, the bell had rung from inside of the high school, signaling the end of yet another period. While Elyon slowly began to collect her belongings, Will did the same, however within a much more hurried fashion.

_I guess she doesn't want to stick around for any furthered glances and whispers about her . . . although I can't say that I blame her_ , the soft haired girl thought with fierce sympathy as she watched.

". . . . All right, then. Thanks for the help, Elyon - And for the company," Will said with a small nod, after having finished packing up her empty lunchbox. She took a step away from the cleared lunch table, and then stopped a moment, as though a new thought had come to her. "Oh . . . and it was nice meeting you, as well. I really _am_ glad that you're all right. Goodbye, then. . . ."

And with that, Will abruptly turned and began to calmly head towards the entrance back into the school, before Elyon could properly respond.

"W-Well, _wait_ a sec, Will! Wait up!" she called out after the retreating form of the blatantly guarded young girl, hurriedly catching up to her. "It was certainly nice to meet you, _too_ , but, well . . . I was kinda hoping our association didn't have to end when the lunch period did, as well. . . ."

Will stopped walking then, gazing back at Elyon with honestly surprised eyes. Apparently, she truly hadn't been expecting anything further to transpire between the smaller girl and herself; however, she nonetheless slowly gave a small smile in response, which pleased the pigtailed teenager greatly to have witnessed.

_Like hot and cold, she is. . . . One minute she's open and friendly, the next she's closed off and a bit brash, and then back again_ , Elyon thought within reflection, offering a smile of her own to the redhead. _There're so many sides to her personality. . . ._

". . . . Really? Then . . . what did you have in mind?" Will tentatively asked, suddenly feeling uncharacteristically shy a bit, as the prospect of having potentially made a new friend was admittedly too much to hope for.

Elyon beamed at this, reaching out with both hands to clasp the other girl's strong arm, and this time not feeling out of place or even out of line to have done so.

"All right! Well, I was thinking that, since you're new here and all, I could show you around! Or, at least, show you around that shopping center I told you about, seeing as you're obviously going to head there today, anyway, right?" she asked with grand exuberance, feeling the continued eyes of her fellow students watching the two new friends attentively, but no longer cared. "And then, maybe _afterwards_ , if there's enough time and if you want, we can grab something to eat! So, what do you say, Will? I'll meet you outside, in the front of the school at the gates after the final period, okay?"

Pausing for a moment, Will then softly nodded, cocking her cardinal colored head to side as she flashed the shorter girl an awkward smile.

". . . . Okay, Elyon. Then . . . I guess I'll see you after school. . . . See ya later," she replied in appreciation, slowly, but gently pulling her arm away and from out of Elyon's grasp, before turning and continuing on towards the high school's doors alone.

". . . . See you then, Will," Elyon softly murmured to herself in happiness, watching the redhead disappear back into the school. Just then, she could hear her name being frantically called out from behind, causing her to turn around.

The blonde watched with amused eyes as her quartet of companions came rushing up to her, with Alchemy leading the way, and both the Grumper Twins, in addition to Martin, trailing cautiously behind.

"Elyon! Oh, my God! Are you _okay?_ How was it?" the russet haired girl was the first to speak, promptly wrapping both of her arms around her best friend within a generous and relieved hug.

" _Yeah!_ We saw you actually eating some of her _food!_ She didn't like, threaten to cut your face or nothin', if you didn't do what she said, did she? _Boy_ , I sure hope for _your_ sake that it wasn't _poisoned!_ " Bess cried out as she chimed in, both she and Courtney taking their own turn to hug their good friend.

Elyon rolled her eyes at this, before letting out a loud sigh and gently smiled.

" _Yes_ , I'm just _fine_ , Alchemy, and _no_ , Will _didn't_ threaten _or_ poison me, Bess. It was pretty fun, actually," she revealed in reply, looking from friend to friend, and beginning to giggle at the sight of their extremely surprised faces.

"N-No, _way!_ And here, we were gonna send in _Martin_ to go over there to rescue you, by sacrificing _himself!_ But, of _course_ , he chickened out - Some man _you_ are, Martin! An absolute _disgrace_ to your species," Courtney remarked with a scoff and wrinkle of her nose, after having calmed down a bit, before lightly pushing the now reddening Martin standing next to her.

" _H-Hey!_ I didn't see _you_ rushing at the chance to go in my _stead_ , Courtney! So, 'an absolute disgrace' to your _loyalty_ as her so-called _friend!"_ the straw haired boy fired back in defense, adjusting his silver framed eyeglasses upon his frowning face. He then turned his attention onto Elyon, and his expression immediately softened as he gave his oldest friend and neighbor a gentle smile. "But, I really _am_ glad to hear you're okay, too, Elle! So, what happened between you two? And why'd you call her ' _Will?_ ' I thought that her name was ' _Wilhelmina?_ '"

Elyon nodded within initial response, before turning around to lead the way out of the steadily emptying courtyard.

"Mmhm, it _is_ , Martin. But she told me that she prefers being called ' _Will_ ,' instead - You know, short _for_ 'Wilhelmina?' Yeah," she began to explain after taking the middle, as each pair of her friends took a place on either side of her.

"Yeah . . . so that it'll make it a bit harder for the cops to _find_ her again, once she's committed her _next_ crime," Courtney softly muttered to her snickering, twin sister, however was also nonetheless heard by both Alchemy as well as Elyon.

"Come _on,_ you two; knock it off! Elyon obviously doesn't agree with what's been said about this girl! So we shouldn't make fun like this," the rust haired girl spoke, taking the role of the reprimanding friend where the Grumper siblings were concerned, as _usual_ , it seemed like. " _Anyway_ , go on, Ellie. . . ."

Elyon smiled within gratitude at her dearest friend, before continuing on.

"Thanks, Alkie, but there really isn't much _to_ tell. We shared lunch together, got to know one another just a little bit, and that was it. Oh! And then, after school, we're gonna go shopping together, too," she said with honest nonchalance, just as she re-entered the school building and headed off to class . . . _alone_ , without realizing, as all four of her friends had abruptly stopped short within their tracks upon hearing the unexpected news.

". . . . _Shopping_ . . . _together?"_ each of them spoke simultaneously, slowly gazing at one another with incredulous expressions etched upon their faces, before looking after their evidently brave friend as she swiftly vanished within the growing sea of fellow students rushing to and fro within the busied hallways. . . .

 

* * *

Thickening blackness surrounded Deite from all sides, as he swiftly paced back and forth within his sleeping quarters. But then, it was always rather dark, dank, and dreary whenever the Dark General would return to his Master's grand, although forgotten kingdom.

 

Besides, the redhead surmised that the surrounding atmosphere was quite befitting, as it could effortlessly match his currently embittered and brooding mood. Things were no longer working toward his favor in his quest to retrieve both the mystical Star of Threbe, as _well_ as enough human energy to suffice in reviving the kingdom's Great Ally.

_My Master is swiftly losing patience with me, each time I unfortunately fail him,_ Deite thought with a grimace, his scowl deepening. _And if I don't succeed soon, I know I will surely meet my end. . . . It's bad enough that I constantly have those_ _blasted_ _Guardian Soldiers challenging me at every turn . . . but now there are also recent developments which admittedly make feel a little less than confident. . . ._

" _. . . . I consider myself to be a reasonable man . . . one who mercifully tolerates the constant_ _follies_ _of my_ _less_ _than competent general," the authoritative, flax haired man had spoken through his traditionally calm, yet ominous voice, while peering darkly at the cowering redhead from his place before his dusty throne._

_The newly defeated Deite had just then returned from yet another lost battle between the wretched Guardian Soldiers and himself, after having attempted to acquire the Princess of Marsily's royal treasure during her regal ball earlier on that same evening._

_He had been dreading the inevitable journey back to the vast, lost kingdom, for he had known what would be awaiting him the moment that he had. Sure enough, as soon as the young general had emerged from the usual, crimson colored and mystical mist, and appeared before the taller, older man, another stern admonishing had once again begun._

" _. . . . Do you think you could tell me, then, Deite, why you continue to_ _fail_ _me each, and_ _every_ _time? Do you . . ._ _enjoy_ _letting me down, and coming that much closer to your own demise?" the long haired had continued within his chastising, a soft scowl beginning to form upon his pale face._

_Deite, who had been respectfully bowed before the menacing male throughout his verbal punishment, had just then swiftly risen to his feet, forgetting his manners._

" _O-Of course not, my master!" he'd exclaimed promptly, dark eyes widened in fear as he'd rushed forward and a bit closer to the fair haired ruler. Having then realized his rudeness, he'd quickly taken a step back before bowing in renewed respect once more. "T-That is, I'd honestly tried my best to retrieve that princess's treasure for you, and had almost succeeded with doing both that, as_ _well_ _as claiming the energy of the humans attending her ball . . . b-but those_ _despicable_ _Guardian Soldiers had shown up and put a wrench within my plans!"_

" _Hmm . . . perhaps you give them too much credit for your_ _own_ _shortcomings, Deite," the cornflower locked man had smirked within furthered insult, before lightly beginning to stroke his goatee within contemplation. "While it is indeed unfortunate for your having botched yet_ _another_ _attempt at doing as I have asked . . . I believe I know of a way to salvage our overall goal. . . ."_

_Deite, who had sharply sucked in his breath as he'd awaited his most assured fate this time, slowly lifted his cardinal colored head to gaze questionably upon his master._

" _. . . . Sir? I-I'm not sure I quite understand," he'd stated with a slow raise of his eyebrow, watching as the other man's simper had then grown much more prominent._

" _And this news does not surprise me within the slightest, I can assure you, Deite," the pale blonde had remarked with blatant relish, before having taken a step forward and suddenly snapped his fingers. "Come forth, Zoi!"_

_Suddenly, the otherwise dark throne room had become partially illuminated in that instant, by a mysterious, wavy and eggplant colored light from behind the still crouching Deite. Startled, the crimson haired servant had whirled around in time to catch sight of a relatively tall, and slender young man emerging from it._

" _. . . . I am here, Master," the newcomer had stated with a calm softness within his tone, which was very unlike the regular aggression Deite held within his own. Deite had looked on within immediate disgust as he then watched him slowly approach their shared ruler's throne, and delicately bowed in respect._

_The redhead had felt his blood begin to boil, as he took in the unwanted sight of his blatantly newfound competition. With s_ _hort, lightly messy and jet black hair, steel blue colored eyes and gently toasted skin, the young male had been adorned within an epaulette and uniform quite similar to Deite's, however dark violet in tinge._

_He'd been unfortunately and all too aware that the similar attire made the one known as Zoi a fellow Dark General._

" _Ah, Zoi . . . welcome. I see you have awakened quite nicely," the fair haired ruler had commented with an approving nod, watching within honest amusement as he'd then caught sight of a visibly fuming Deite. "Now, then! I trust that I can count on you to help pick up the regrettable slack that your_ _bumbling_ _comrade has created thus far, yes?"_

_Zoi had nodded quietly with a small, but growing smile, before Deite, unable to contain his rage, had swiftly spoken._

" _W-Wait_ _a second! Master, please! Surely you cannot think that bringing_ _him_ _on will aid within our continued efforts to recover both the mystical Star of Threbe, as well as enough human energy for our Great Ally!" he'd stated sharply in disbelief, after having roughly waved his gloved right hand toward the still smirking man beside him. "I can do this all on my_ _own_ _! I do not wish, nor_ _need_ _any help -_ _Least_ _of all from him!"_

" _I would have your_ _tongue_ _this very moment for such insubordination, were I not certain of your overall devotion, Deite," the flax locked, older man had responded evenly, peering tensely upon the livid redhead. "However, for now, at least, I find your continued existence_ _far_ _more useful to me, especially now that there are_ _two_ _Guardian Soldiers - The playing field will now be evened. Besides, it is_ _because_ _of your 'continued efforts,' rather than '_ _successful_ _efforts,' that has required me to retrieve Zoi in the first place. . . . From now on,_ _he_ _will take care of locating, as well as securing the mystical Star of Threbe, while_ _you_ _continue your attempts at collecting enough human energy to satisfy our Great Ally."_

" _I will not fail you, my master," Zoi had gently remarked, briefly gazing condescendingly upon the stunned silent Deite within the corner of his eye, before bowing once more toward the older man. "I know that I will surely succeed where my predecessor had_ _not_ _. . . ."_

"The _nerve_ of that damned _toad_ , to have humiliated me in front of the Master like that!" Deite growled vehemently with a strong shaking of his fist, his mind returning to the present. "He will _pay_ for it, I swear i -!"

The redhead's vengeful words had been cut off by the abrupt sound of saxophone music softly beginning to waft throughout the surrounding atmosphere. Knowing immediately where it was coming from, Deite swiftly bounded toward his bedchambers' doors, and practically flew down the darkened halls within the direction of the intolerable noise.

"So, _this_ is how you plan to locate the mystical Star of Threbe, Zoi? By sitting within your room, playing with your little _toy_ all of the time?" Deite promptly mocked with profound delight, the moment he had swung open the previously sealed door to the raven haired man's own sleeping quarters. "I dare say that our master has _regrettably_ wasted his energies by having _you_ awakened, as well. . . ."

Zoi, who had been seated at the foot of his double sized and lightly dusty looking bed, slowly lowered the black colored mouthpiece of his golden tinted saxophone away from his mouth, and softly sighed.

". . . . Well, he had seen fit to revive _you_ , after all. But then, I, myself, do not have the sort of _fool hearted_ bravery to openly question the acts of such a powerful being - I rather _enjoy_ the land of the living," he replied with a nonchalant air, a tiny smile beginning to form upon his tanned visage.

"W-W-Why, _y-you_ -!" Deite began to stammer within embarrassed anger, clenching his fists together tightly. Zoi, undaunted by his begrudged comrade's seemingly eternal rage, where _he_ was concerned, at least, calmly set down his admittedly beloved musical instrument onto his bed before rising to his feet.

"I will have you know that my music is _not_ simply nourishment for the soul, my friend . . . no, no. It is _so_ much more, in fact," he softly began, beginning to walk about the plainly decorated bedchamber, with his long cape gently whipping behind him. "Yes . . . through its use, I am able to accomplish _many_ things . . . _one_ of which will enable me to locate the whereabouts of the mystical Star of Threbe, at a faster rate than _you_ could have ever hoped to achieve, I'm afraid. . . ."

"What the Master sees in you, I will _never_ understand!" Deite spat with a glare, his face reddening within continued upset. "What makes you so damned _confident_ that you will even find it, _especially_ through this silly method of playing _ditties_ all day? Finding the Star of Threbe requires _real_ action!"

Zoi merely nodded briefly, before lightly beginning to chuckle underneath his breath.

"Misguided action is _aimless_ action, Deite," he softly philosophized, before turning his eggplant colored back onto the scowling redhead. "Trying _your_ seemingly preferred method of simply going out there, and attacking everything that _moves_ in hopes of finding the mystical Star of Threbe would benefit _no_ one in the long run. . . . No . . . _patience_ is a virtue. And besides, should you not now be more concerned with gathering enough human _energy_ upon our Great Ally's behalf?"

At this, Deite surprisingly scoffed, before beginning to smirk in confidence.

"I'll have _you_ know, ' _friend_ ,' that I have a newfound plan _already_ in motion for doing precisely that," he remarked haughtily, before turning toward Zoi's doorway which he had left open. "So, while _you're_ busy in here, playing your little heart out with your so called ' _patience_ ,' _I_ will be providing our Master with _actual_ results in the meantime. Enjoy yourself!"

And with that, Deite confidently left his rival's bedchamber without another word, suddenly feeling a lot less conflicted and despondent as he had prior to the visit.

_You just wait . . . I will capture the energy of every last human upon that pathetic little planet, and show_ _everyone_ _what I am made of_ , the redhead thought with dangerous pride, as he continued down the shadowy and bleak hallway of the forgotten kingdom.

 

* * *

The very moment the final bell of that particular school day had rung, Elyon had practically catapulted out of her assigned seat and burst out of the classroom door through sheer eagerness. Besides the always welcomed fact that it was once again the end of another long, and drawn out scholastic weekday, it also meant that she would get to see the rather eccentric redhead once more, and accompany her on her shopping errands as promised.

 

After their rather interesting lunchtime together, Elyon hadn't the fortune of seeing Will again within any of her other classes throughout the rest of the day, which had admittedly disappointed her a tad. Much like how it had been when she'd first met the shy, but sweet Taranee, Elyon already found herself quite enthralled by the tall, brown-eyed girl.

There was simply something . . . _different_ about her, or _unique_ , that the blonde couldn't honestly put her finger upon to better ascertain. What Elyon _did_ know for certain in regard to Will were two things: None of the continued rumors about the young girl's apparently troubled past could _possibly_ be true; and she was already very well-liked by the petite teenager.

_Now, if only I can somehow manage to convince Alchemy and the others to not be so afraid of Will like the_ _rest_ _of the student population seems to be, then I'll be set_ , Elyon thought with vague gloominess, as she hurriedly exited the high school's main entrance, before she'd swiftly wiped away any further negativity from her mind. _But, it's all right for now, I suppose, since I've got the entire rest of the school year to do precisely that, after all. . . ._

Elyon smiled softly to herself at that particular final thought, knowing full well how persistent, even to the point of pestering, she could sometimes become in regard to her loved ones, especially whenever it dealt with something she truly believed in or wanted.

"Yeah. They'll _all_ come around in time," she murmured lightly underneath her breath with confidence and reference to her high school's total student body, as she continued her fast pace and zigzagged around fellow scattering schoolmates.

Feeling more and more upbeat and positive with each step, Elyon's good mood swiftly gave way to concern and worry, once the open front gates to her school had just then come into view within the nearing distance . . . for, Will was nowhere to be seen.

Stopping short at the admittedly disheartening sight, Elyon immediately began to think the worst.

_. . . . I should have known that Will wouldn't have stuck around to meet me, as planned_ , she began in thought, lightly wringing her tiny hands together within mounting anxiety, while staring blankly at the unattended front gates. _I mean, why_ _should_ _she have, really? She doesn't even_ _know_ _me, and does seem pretty well guarded emotionally, and -_

"- H-Hey, Elyon! Oh, _good!_ We caught you before you'd left campus with . . . you know who," Elyon suddenly could hear the admittedly unwanted voice of Courtney slicing through her flustered contemplations from behind just then, causing her to jump in surprise before turning around.

With the traditionally opinionated redhead were two other girls Elyon did not honestly know too well personally, but still recognized to be Courtney's own personal companions. The pigtailed girl forced as strong a smile as she could muster at that moment, before responding.

". . . . O-Oh, hey, Courtney. Yeah, I was just . . . just about to wait for Will at the front gates, actually," she partially lied with a small nod, waving in shy politeness to Courtney's comrades. "Where's Bess? And, Alchemy and Martin, too, actually? I was hoping to see them before Will and I left, so that I could introduce all of you to her."

"I couldn't _believe_ it when Courtney and Bess told me and Cassie that not only were you brave enough to talk to that convicted killer, but you're now about to go _shopping_ with her, too, like you're _best friends_ , or something!" the girl on Courtney's left, slightly shorter than her and with dark brown hair and eyes abruptly gushed with an impressed air.

The other fellow teenager present, and apparently known as Cassie, swiftly chimed in at her place on Courtney's right.

" _Totally!_ It completely gave Maddie and me the _chills_ to hear about it! You'll be in my prayers, Evelyn," she spoke, a bit dramatically, with a sympathetic smile upon her pale face, before tucking a stray strand of her mousy locks behind her ear.

Elyon promptly tried her best to suppress a sigh at this, forcing herself to simply smile at the two unfamiliar girls while simultaneously trying to keep in mind her previous hope of changing the minds of the entire school about Will's overall character, if she could.

". . . . A-Actually, it's _Elyon_ , Cassie, _not_ 'Evelyn,' but thanks for the concern, even _if_ it isn't really necessary," she responded, her smile becoming more sincere the longer she held onto her decided resolution within her mind.

Both Maddie and Cassie seemed to become a bit put off by her reply, as the both of their concerned faces slowly melted away, and was replaced by a look of skepticism. Courtney, meanwhile, merely continued to smile gently at her good friend, before moving forward to wrap her arms around her within an unexpected embrace.

"Ohhh, I'm sure gonna _miss_ you, Elle! Be sure to come back as your ghost, and try to leave us cryptic messages in our dreams of where the Vandom girl had disposed of your body, like how it's done on that one primetime show about that psychic lady who works in the District Attorney's office!" the freckled-faced girl cried, tightening her hold upon Elyon, as though absolutely certain that that would have been the final time she would ever get to do so. But then, suddenly, Courtney promptly let go and gave a broad grin back at the now befuddled blonde, before speaking once more. "Well, then! That's enough goodbyes for _me!_ Can't keep Wiley waiting, after all! That's where _Bess_ already headed, the little _sneak_ , by the way - _Totally_ bailed on her last period class, _just_ to get to the Rec Center earlier than usual. As for _Martin_ , I just saw the little cowardly geek trying to leave campus all the way on the other side of the school, seeing as he said he didn't want to take any chances of running into your soon-to-be murderess, and you know that barely anyone uses those exits at the end of the day, anyhow. And as for Al, _she'd_ already gone straight home, too, if you remember . . . her folks being afraid for her safety and all that jazz, now. . . . Now, if you'll excuse us, the three of us are going to go catch up with my crafty twin sister and ogle our beloved Wiley some more! Goodbye, Elyon! I'll miss you _fondly!_ "

Elyon could only stare after her admittedly peculiarly acting friend with profound perplexity, utterly unsure of how to appropriately react to such a bizarre occurrence. She could not honestly accurately place whatever emotion it was Courtney had been feeling most within those past few moments.

_Was_ _she honestly fearful for me and my safety, being her usually sarcastic self, or just plain_ _delirious_ _right then?_ the blonde thought within furthered confusion, watching with a raised eyebrow and faint smile, as the now three tittering girls disappeared around the corner of the high school after leaving through the front gates _. I've never seen her act so . . . '_ _off'_ _before like that. Weird. . . ._

Elyon had then become too distracted by her ongoing mental queries about one of her friend's strange behavior that she'd honestly forgotten about her original focus, which had been her hopeful outing with Will . . . until she suddenly felt a light tap upon her shoulder.

". . . . E-Elyon?" she could hear Will's already familiar voice gently speak from behind with a faint, although still detectable trace of apprehension laced within it. Elyon immediately whirled around at this, and gave a broad smile of mixed relief and happiness at the sight of the taller girl, at the same time that the few students still hanging about within the front of campus began to open the distance between themselves and the redhead once she'd been spotted.

" _Will!_ Hi! I'm _so_ glad to see you again! T-That is, I'd honestly thought that you weren't going to stick around for me like we'd planned," Elyon beamed with a clap of her hands before taking a step towards the other girl, who suddenly appeared a bit taken aback and out of place for a moment, as her own small smile began to fade.

". . . . To be honest, Elyon . . . I almost didn't," Will slowly revealed, taking a blind step backwards just as Elyon had taken another one forward.

Elyon couldn't help but feel a bit hurt by this news, although, in truth, she shouldn't have been so surprised by it. Nonetheless, she tried her very best to mask her already fleeting upset, as she gave a small nod in understanding.

"O-Oh, sure, yeah! I _totally_ get it, Will!" she began with a crooked smile, swinging her skinny arms behind her back and clasped them together. "I mean, after all, we _did_ just meet today, and I guess I _was_ a bit on the pushy side at lunchtime, now that I think about it. . . . A-And -"

"- No, you weren't pushy at all, Elyon, and there's no need to try to apologize for it. It's just . . . how I am sometimes, I guess . . . that I was actually a bit . . . _nervous_ ," Will exposed tentatively, beginning to softly blush, much like in the way she had earlier on that day when the two had first officially met.

The returned sight made Elyon smile in growing fondness, honestly causing her to think of her _other_ reserved new friend, Taranee, as a result.

_I wonder if I can get Will to beat_ _Taranee's_ _record for blushing repeatedly, for practically_ _everything_ _, by day's end,_ she thought in amusement, before clearing her throat.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better to know, I always feel a little bit nervous, myself, whenever I make a new friend and hang out with them for the first time, too! And, another thing to know that I hope will also make you feel better? I'm _really_ glad you'd decided to come, after all," Elyon said warmly, the smile upon her face strengthening once again, before moving to stand at Will's side. "So! Are you ready to 'shop 'till you drop,' with one of Heatherfield's up and coming shopping gurus?"

At this, Will couldn't help but to softly chuckle, her demeanor visibly beginning to relax as she slowly nodded.

"I guess so, yes . . . although, I don't think I'll be 'shopping 'till I drop,' anyway. I only really need a few things, after all," she explained in reply, as the two began to make their way off campus, with an effortlessly unblocked path laid out ahead of them, courtesy of the continually petrified students randomly dodging them.

Elyon giggled, herself.

"Oh. Well, I suppose that's good for _you_ , then, Will, seeing as you probably wouldn't be able to keep up, anyhow," she teased with a wink, leading the way and pleased to see that the other girl promptly joined in within the laughter. "Now, come on! Next stop: 'Kino Plaza Shopping Mall!'"

 

* * *

"Ahhh, what a _great_ day of shopping! Right, Will?" Elyon exhaled happily, after carelessly plopping her body into one of the two white chairs of the circular, café-like table . . . one of many outside of the petite, but quite busy ice cream parlor right near the shopping center.

 

The two young teenagers had been there for the past hour and a half by that point, with Elyon eagerly leading the way, as she'd charged through practically every store within the Kino Plaza Shopping Mall, and gave a play-by-play of everything and anything she'd felt was worth buying within each, despite not being that acquainted with that particular mall.

And even though Will had originally made it quite clear to her new companion that she only needed to buy a new pair of sneakers, and perhaps a new outfit or two, thus making it an in-and-out sort of venture, the redhead had suddenly found herself carrying what felt like a platoon of reusable shopping bags, all filled with various and admittedly frivolous accessories from stores she had never before bothered to shop within, at that.

Granted, most of the bags and belongings were for _Elyon_ , as the smaller girl certainly had not been kidding when she'd divulged her apparent talent for being a rather skilled consumer; however, before Will knew it, she, too, was also within ownership of colorful hair barrettes, lip gloss, and brightly tinted nail polishes she would never dream of possessing, let alone actually buying.

It was strange to think of the odd, yet almost . . . _infectious_ sort of effect the pigtailed girl seemed to have upon Will, the more time she'd spent with her. It was both liberating, as well as _alarming_ at the same time. . . .

_Still, at least I'd managed to get some pretty cool new sneakers like I'd wanted, and some awesome new clothes which are still my own personal style_ , the tawny skinned girl thought with a faint smile, looking down at the sea of clothing bags at her side, including the four grocery bags intermingling with them. _And I finally was able to drag Elyon away from the mall long enough to get the grocery shopping I also needed to do out of the way, as well. . . ._

". . . . Yeah, Elyon. It . . . _was_ pretty fun, actually," Will openly admitted with another small smile in return, sitting next to the grinning girl, who then took a bite of the already half eaten, waffle-made cone to the cheesecake flavored ice cream she had purchased.

" _Mmmm!_ I _definitely_ needed one of these after _that_ workout! Of course, I probably could _have_ done without half the things I bought today - _Especially_ not after the great gifts me and my friend Alchemy had gotten from Cornelia Hale a few weeks ago - but it's _always_ fun to go shopping with girlfriends!" Elyon said cheerfully, lightly swaying her tiny body back and forth within her seat, as she continued to enjoy her sugary and cool treat. "Oh, _hey!_ Did I get to tell you about that, by the way? I mean, I know I was so busy gabbing away about myself, in between talking about the prices on some of the clothes back in the mall there, but I don't think I ever got around to _that_ , as well."

Will merely smiled once more and shook her rose colored head, leaning forward to help herself to another spoonful of the small bowl of raspberry flavored sorbet that she'd chosen rather than ice cream.

"No, you haven't, Elyon," she began in reply, before taking a moment to carefully swallow the frozen dish. "Well, you did mention her name at lunch, though. Cornelia Hale, huh? She sounds like a pretty generous friend of yours, to have apparently bought both you _and_ your other friend a bunch of clothes, or whatever it was like that. . . ."

Will immediately felt her cheeks growing hot, as her molasses colored eyes had at that moment caught sight of a suddenly blanched looking Elyon, whose mouth was curiously hanging agape. Tiny bits of otherwise unrecognizable pieces of her now mushy ice cream cone still remained upon her pink tongue, causing Will to slightly wrinkle her nose within mild disgust.

". . . . W-What is it, Elyon? Was it something I said?" the redhead asked awkwardly, slowly setting down her black tinted, plastic spoon back into her unfinished and slowly melting sorbet.

Suddenly snapping out of her momentary and quite unexpected stupor, Elyon abruptly closed her mouth and swallowed hard, before leaning closer to a still rather surprised Will.

". . . . There is no _possible_ way that you honestly don't know who _Cornelia Hale_ is, Will, if you _seriously_ think that she's an _actual_ friend of mine, _or_ Alchemy's!" she cried in alarm, her comment, while meaning to be innocent, unknowingly causing the crimson haired girl to feel simultaneously foolish as well as offended. " _Next_ , you're gonna tell me that you don't know who _Sailor V_ is, either!"

Lightly frowning and folding her arms across her chest, Will shrugged roughly.

"Yeah, well, I guess I _don't_ , then," she replied with faint defensiveness, the usual emotional walls she'd keep around herself, both out of necessity as well as protection, beginning to harden.

Sensing the other girl's now put off air, Elyon immediately shook her blonde head in apology, before smiling weakly.

"O-Oh, gee! I'm _sorry_ , Will! I didn't mean it to sound that way! You know, like I was making _fun_ of you, or something!" she began, waving one free hand into the air, as she reclined back into her chair in order to reopen the distance between the two of them, for now. "I'm just _surprised_ , that's all! I mean, I've never honestly met _anyone_ who didn't know who either one of them are - Or, at the _very_ least, their names. I seriously thought everyone _alive_ knew who they were, quite frankly. . . ."

Relaxing after having heard the beginnings of Elyon's explanation, Will slowly gave a sheepish smile of her own.

"Oh . . . I see, then. So, I guess they're some famous people then, right?" she asked with honest intrigue, picking up her spoon once more. She then couldn't help but softly giggle, once she'd caught Elyon's renewed incredulous stare yet again. " _Whomever_ they are, you must really love and idolize _both_ to keep reacting this way, and giving me those crazy looks."

"'Whomever they are?' Oh, _wow_ , is it _ever_ weird to hear stuff like _that_ being said about either one of them! But, heck _yes_ , do I love and idolize both Cornelia Hale and Sailor V! Sometimes it's hard to decide which one is number one in my heart, but they're definitely both my all time, absolute heroes!" Elyon gushed with a grin, pausing only for a brief moment, before continuing on and not bothering to wait for Will's response to her swift inquiry. " _Anyway!_ Sailor V is our _lucky_ city's special crime fighting superheroine, who goes around stopping all _sorts_ of criminals left and right whenever she can! _And_ , she does it all by herself, too! _Then_ , there's _Cornelia_ , who's this _really_ awesome, _super_ cool singer, actress, model, _clothing_ designer, _and_ , as I'd only just recently found out for myself - Which is _crazy_ , because I am always, always, _always_ on top of the latest 'Cornelia- _anything'_ \- perfume creator, or _whatever_ you wanna call it!

_All_ of that already underneath her belt, and she's _only_ the same age as _us_ , too! That's about the _only_ thing I can actually say I 'one-up' her on, really, because my birthday is before hers, and I'm therefore older by a couple of months. _O-Oh!_ Not that I'd honestly ever _care_ to try being better than she is, since her being so _perfect_ and all helps me always strive to be and do _my_ best, as well - _Especially_ after I listen to her songs! I have a _truckload_ of her albums I'd be _happy_ to lend to you some time if you want, Will!"

". . . . Ummm, that's all right, Elyon, but thanks," Will slowly said in reply with a smile, after having listened to the shorter girl's animated rant, a trait which the redhead was already finding herself growing quite accustomed to. "She sounds like she might be one of those _many_ pop stars the media has thrust into society throughout the decades - Which I'm not trying to say that that's a _bad_ thing that she is, or that you like her, of course. I think _everyone_ should have someone to look up to, and I'm glad you seem to have found someone, yourself. . . . It's just that, I don't honestly watch much television, _or_ listen to the radio either, for that matter, to have known of this girl's existence or music - Cornelia, _nor_ Sailor V. And the clothes and perfume she apparently makes are probably the kind I wouldn't be personally into, _anyway_ , so that explains _that_ , as well. . . ."

Elyon seemed to be processing this newfound piece of information, for she did not attempt to speak again for a few moments, which initially caused Will to feel minutely guilty for not sharing the same interests as the overall bubbly girl.

However, Elyon merely gave a firm nod and soft grin, before taking another bite of her temporarily forgotten and fast melting ice cream.

"Well, then! I guess I'll just have to be your ' _tutor_ ,' as it were, in the ways of 'Cornelia Hale-ism,' as I sometimes call it! _Trust_ me, Will! You'll _really_ like her music, once you give it a chance!" she said with a widening smile, before softly giggling at Will's mild expression of playful mortification. " _H-Hey_ , now! Don't knock it 'till you've at _least_ heard _one_ of her songs! You'd be surprised the kinds of people her music reaches out to! Like, take for instance, my _own_ new tutor - Well, for actual _school_ and stuff, that is - and friend, Taranee Cook! She is one of the nicest, _smartest_ girls you could _possibly_ meet! But, she's _also_ pretty shy and quiet, too, and honestly, at first glance, you wouldn't believe she'd enjoy pop music as _I_ do! In fact, I just thought she liked only _classical_ music, or something like that - Which she _does_ , turns out, actually - but she'd said that she owns _every_ last album of Cornelia's, _and_ knew some things about her that even _I_ hadn't yet! Go fig, right? Music really _does_ bring people together, after all!"

At this, Will couldn't help but to begin laughing, within good humor and her amazement at the never-ending supply of energy the other girl seemed to possess. It honestly warmed her heart to continually be around such a vibrant young individual. . . .

_It's been so long, otherwise. . . ._ Will couldn't help but to additionally think, as her laughter slowly began to die down, watching a continually content Elyon seated next to her and seemingly undaunted by her tittering.

"Hmm . . . well I guess you're right, then - Although, I'm _still_ not sure that I'll be listening to Cornelia Hale's music any time soon, thanks, no matter _what_ you say," Will lightly teased, smiling warmly at the sight of Elyon's own renewed giggles.

"Yeah? Well, we'll just _see_ about that!" the pigtailed girl countered with a wink, before popping the last of her ice cream cone into her mouth. "So! Uh . . . lemme see. _So_ far, I know that you're a _fantastic_ cook, and make _awesome_ food - _For_ which, I permanently volunteer my services as 'Official Food Tester,' by the way! Um . . . oh yeah! You told me, while we were shopping, that you really like frogs - Which was actually one of the first things I'd noticed about you, too! Hmm . . . _right!_ And that you really like animals, in general, and nature! Is _that_ why you'd bought and then used all those recycled bags, or whatever they're called?"

Will followed Elyon's gaze, after quietly listening to her recap the few personal details about herself she had been willing to divulge, and looked upon her green or black colored shopping bags once more. Not a one of them were of the traditional paper, or made from plastic, unlike Elyon's own, but instead of an environmentally safe polypropylene Will had once read to be helpful towards the ecosystem.

". . . . Oh, yeah. They're _reusable_ bags, actually, or _tote_ bags, if you'd prefer, too, which are eco-friendly, yeah," the redhead began in reply, nodding faintly towards an attentive Elyon. "I started using them a few years ago, myself, as a way to help out the earth and all, you know? But . . . I don't know. Even _before_ that . . . it's _strange_ , but I've just . . . sort of _always_ felt a bit connected to the environment, I guess . . . .? Like, the _trees_ and stuff, or whatever. . . . I suppose it sounds pretty _stupid_ , right?"

Elyon swiftly shook her head within blatant disagreement.

"No, _way!_ I think that that's _rockin'_ that you wanna do your part to help out our planet! My mom's _always_ going on and on about how I usually forget to separate the recyclables from the regular trash every trash day, actually," she replied with a brief roll of her eyes, before giving a sheepish grin at the taller girl. "But, now I feel all the _more_ bad about it, having a new friend who's more conscience about our surroundings than _I_ sure am! My _mom_ would love you, anyway. I'll bet your _own_ mom is pretty proud of you for it, too, though, right?"

Will tensed up at this, quite visibly to Elyon, who promptly looked upon her with concern eyes.

". . . . W-What is it? Was it something I said?" she innocently asked, slowly resting a gentle hand upon the stronger girl's wrist. The sudden contact seemed as though it had honestly _burned_ her, for Will quickly pulled back her arm, and lightly rubbed at it before looking away.

"I, uh . . . yeah. _Yes_ , I'm fine, Elyon," she murmured, although tried her absolute best to maintain the usual strength within her voice. ". . . . It's just . . . well, I wouldn't honestly _know_ what my mother would think or feel about it, since . . . since both she _and_ my dad are _gone_. . . ."

Elyon sharply gasped upon hearing the startling, heartbreaking news, and immediately placed a hand over her mouth in affect.

". . . . O-Oh, _Will_ , I-! I'm so _sorry!_ I-I didn't _know_ , and I -" she stumbled within response, her heart sinking into her stomach out of shame, as well as sympathy. She watched as Will abruptly gave one of her patented shrugs, before standing from her seat.

"It's all right, Elyon. You didn't know, like you said," she said slowly, but with renewed resolution and a casual air. She turned sideways as she then stared ahead, so that her back would be all that Elyon could see from where she continued to sit. "It's actually coming up on . . . almost two years since my father's been gone, and around a year since my mother's been, as well, now that I think about it. . . . It's certainly made life much more _interesting_ , though, I guess you can say, seeing as I live on my own, and all. . . ."

Elyon blinked in utter disbelief, slowly uncovering her mouth.

". . . . No, _way!_ Will, you live by _yourself?"_ she asked in surprise, standing from her own seat, as well. "B-But, you're just a _kid_ , like me! How's that even _possible?"_

Will merely turned her head to the side, and slightly gazed rather stoically upon Elyon within the corner of her eye.

". . . . _Anything's_ possible within this world, Elyon. I've learned _that_ from experience. . . ." she replied, a bit hollowly, before exhaling sharply and shaking her crimson colored head. She then slowly turned back around and gave a faint, unexpected smile towards the taken aback Elyon. "But, it's all right, though, because I'm definitely much, _much_ stronger for it. So, _honestly?_ I'm kinda _thankful_ , in a way. . . ."

Elyon paused, taking a few moments to consider what had been revealed to her. Only a teenager and barely through high school, and _already_ Will had apparently been through so much more within her young life than the blonde could only just imagine.

_Had that been_ _me_ _, instead, I don't think I'd have found the strength to keep moving forward, the way Will seems to have_ , she thought solemnly, gently biting upon her lower lip to suppress the slight urge to cry that had just then begun to seize her senses. _I feel so bad, now. . . ._

". . . . I feel so bad, now," Elyon suddenly heard herself say aloud before she could stop herself, verbally mirroring her previous ruminations mere seconds ago. She blushed softly, as her soft blue eyes locked with Will's inquisitive brown. "T-That is . . . well, for the _obvious_ , really, without talking about it some more and making either one of us feel _worse_. . . . And then, to transfer to a new school - A new _city_ , with the school year already having started, too, and all alone like that . . . it must be pretty tough. . . ."

Will moved back over to their shared table then, and picked up her unfinished and mostly melted sorbet, before walking towards the silver colored trash bin behind Elyon. She then turned back around to face the shorter girl, lightly dusted her hands off, and gave a soft smile.

". . . . Yeah, I guess so, for _most_ people. But, for _me?_ I don't really like to dwell on things too much," she replied, her chameleon-like persona taking effect once more. "Like, for example, my dessert ended up melting and getting ruined, there. But, it's no big deal ultimately, really. Well, that's just how _life_ is like: Things happen that you can't always control, and it _can_ get pretty messed up and _ruined_ , even, too . . . but you just gotta put it behind you and keep going. . . ."

Elyon couldn't immediately respond to this, as the analogy, however slightly skewed, was nonetheless poignant just enough to dishearten her spirits. Having seemed to take notice of this, Will surprisingly let out a small laugh, before lightly tapping the blonde's shoulder in comfort.

"Aww, come on, now! Cheer up, Elyon! It isn't honestly as bad as you're making it seem! My life is honestly just fine - _Really!_ And, hey: At least it isn't your _own_ , and you have people in your life you can count on, right?" she remarked sincerely, doing her best to diminish the other girl's now crestfallen demeanor . . . a sight which honestly did not seem at all befitting for such an individual, and bothered Will to see.

However, something seemed to click for Elyon just then, for the previously sulking expression upon her fair visage effortlessly evaporated, and a brilliant smile graciously replaced it.

"Ah! That's _right!_ I _do_ have people I can count on! And now, so do _you_ , Will!" she said happily, suddenly bending down to pick up her belongings from off of the ground, before seizing Will's hand. "Whenever you're in trouble or are faced with a problem, you can _definitely_ rely on her! I know _I_ always do, now!"

"B-But, _wait!_ W-What're you -?" Will began within confusion, just barely managing to retrieve her _own_ shopping bags, before being rushed away from the table and towards the nearest bus stop.

 

* * *

". . . . I see. So, you really believe that _Sailor V_ could be our princess, Csilla?" Taranee carefully murmured in inquiry to the increasingly familiar, grayish blue feline being carried within her arms, as the two slowly made their way to the Musical Star Café together.

 

Taranee had completed yet another dance practice at Madam Isadora's about an hour ago now, and had originally intended upon getting a head start upon the various reading material she'd acquired from each of her classes within the last week, once she had arrived back home and gotten settled.

However, the moment the vastly intelligent, talented girl's gentle brown eyes had caught sight of the seemingly lost, tiny cat roaming around her front yard, once she'd stepped out of her family chauffer's Rolls Royce, Taranee had decidedly changed plans.

After all, it wasn't every day when Csilla would make personal house calls in order to see her, not unless it was rather important and Guardian Soldier related. And, truth be told, Taranee had honestly been expecting a visit from the mystical feline sooner or later, especially after having read that morning's rather startling newspaper article in regard to the two new, and unknown superheroes now within their city.

Or, more _specifically_ , Sailormeridian and Sailormars. . . .

How utterly flabbergasted Taranee had been, after having woken up at the crack of dawn (and even before the rest of her family, as she usually would every day, regardless of whether or not school was in session), and ventured outside to retrieve the latest issue of _The Heatherfield Tribune_ on her mother's behalf, who had always been much more partial to reading the newspapers, more so than her husband.

The young teenager had nearly choked upon the piece of toast she had prepared for herself, after having idly unfurled the literary publication, and gazed upon the undeniable photograph of both Elyon and herself within their magical guises.

Not even Taranee's gift of foresight and strong mystical senses had been able to see it coming, making her feel all the more frustrated with her so called talents and their continued unpredictability. At the _very_ least, if she had been able to detect _some_ sort of foreshadowing, then the shock of it all could have been far less _devastating!_

It was all the newly turned Fire Guardian could do to contain her mounting concern and mortification throughout her entire school day, not only having to contend with her usual attempts at blocking out the random thoughts and feelings of her fellow academy mates, but also their newfound eagerness to discuss Princess Étaín's royal ball and her "unknown saviors."

It had gotten so bad, in fact, that Taranee had actually been rather tempted to skip out upon her dance lesson, despite having originally been quite itching to return to them on a steady basis once more, now that the authorities were through with their investigation of poor Madam Isadora's studio, in regards to the strange "missing girls mishap" associated with it, but had thankfully come up empty.

She'd needed to get rid of the excessive, pent up energy and unwind, after all, _especially_ after the rather chaotic weekend she'd experienced with Elyon, nearly watching her perish during their arduous battle with the venomous _Deite_. . . .

However, Taranee had promptly decided that one day of missed practice could have been forgiven, if it would mean being able to consult with the seemingly all-knowing Csilla as soon as possible, in order to learn of whether or not her life was now completely over.

_It's just too bad that I couldn't think of a good enough excuse not to have gone to my lesson today, though. But, then, I never_ _was_ _a good liar, either_ , the French-braided girl thought in further reflection of the current day's happenings. _Better late than never, I suppose, now that Csilla was finally able to fill me in on everything, and that Miss Brown and I apparently don't have anything to worry about . . . for_ _now_ _, anyway. However, this latest piece of information she'd given to me_ _is_ _rather puzzling. . . ._

It was true.

After having let Csilla into the girl's empty house (as it usually was around that time of day) and listened rather attentively to the feline's reassuring words of having no fear of her secret identity being exposed, Taranee had honestly expected the visit to end right at that particular moment.

However, Csilla had decidedly stuck around, mysteriously growing silent for a few moments, before at last revealing the other reason for her having gone to see the shy intellectual . . . something she had yet to even discuss with Elyon, as it had been to Taranee's understanding.

And now there they were, heading to their newfound secret headquarters within the heart of the Musical Star Café, after having left Taranee's home with slight haste. She had barely been able to change out of her leotard and into something more comfortable, before she'd found herself hurriedly chasing after the fast moving cat. . . .

" _I'm sorry to drag you out of the house and tear you away from your studies like this, Taranee, but I thought that_ _two_ _minds would be better than_ _one_ _within the research I've been conducting since this past weekend," Csilla had explained in between breaths, as the pair had begun their swift pace towards the café. "And yours is quite honestly the best one for the job, I'd wager. Besides, for now, at least, I do not wish to readily involve Elyon - Which is why I am having us rush like this, in case she would choose to go there today and arrive before us - in case this is all for naught, and I get her hopes up. . . ."_

_To get both Miss Elyon's_ _and_ _my hopes up, admittedly, as well_ , Taranee silently reflected with a faint smile and blush, just as the Musical Star Café had come into view in the distance. _To think . . ._ _the_ _Sailor V could be_ _our_ _princess. . . ._

". . . . Correct, Taranee. However, I have been having a hard time within my investigation upon the matter, as I'd explained to you earlier, and so was hoping that perhaps you could assist me," Csilla replied with a faint nod, peering up at the thoughtful girl with enthusiastic eyes. ". . . . Surely, perhaps, you have been able to sense something about Sailor V with your gifts, as well? Or, maybe you would be able to predict when she'll next appear, so that we could set up some sort of a meeting with her, to know for sure?"

Taranee softly pursed her naturally full lips together, thinking for a moment as she began to consider the notion.

". . . . Honestly, no, Csilla, I haven't . . . sorry," she responded with an almost defeated air, flashing the wise feline an apologetic smile. "That is . . . as both you and Miss Brown now know, my . . . 'abilities' have never been really _reliable_ , let alone _controllable_. And while I've never honestly stopped to pay attention of how I feel whenever I think or hear of, or even sometimes _see_ Sailor V caught on the news, I can't honestly recall sensing anything . . . _significant_ about her. But, now that I know of your suspicions and the possibility that she might be our princess, I'll certainly do my best to help out in any way that I can. It certainly would make the most _sense_ , after all, that she _would_ be the one we're looking for, being sort of similar to Miss Brown and myself, and what we can do now. . . ."

Before Csilla could have responded to the young teenager's inquisitive reflection, their private conversation was suddenly interrupted by the unexpected, although quite familiar sound of Elyon's cheerful voice calling out to Taranee in the distance.

" _Taranee!"_ she cried with a happy smile and wave, before jogging over to the pair and swiftly closing the gap formerly between them, as all three stopped before the entrance to the Musical Star Café. Elyon's blue eyes had then shifted onto Csilla in surprise, who continued to be carefully cradled within Taranee's arms. "Oh! _Csilla_ , you're here with you, too? I hope you're not planning on doing any further renovations to our secret hideaway with your _hocus-pocus_ , because it already has everything you could possibly _imagine!_ "

At this, Csilla promptly let out a playful hiss, while Taranee softly smiled at the other girl, rather happy to see her. She'd secretly hoped that she _would_ have, despite Csilla's blatant want, just this once, for the opposite.

"Well, then, I am glad to hear that you're apparently content with what I have done, Elyon, because I do not wish to hear of you complaining that there isn't a _Jacuzzi_ or _swimming pool_ added somewhere in there, as well," the slate gray cat lightly remarked with a faint smile, apparently neither phased by her primary charge's previous statement, _or_ her presence. "But . . . I _do_ have to ask what you're doing here. I'd have thought you'd be off somewhere with Alchemy, or some of your _other_ friends as usual, instead of at _home_ , doing your _homework_ as you should."

Elyon rolled her eyes at this and sighed, at the same time that Taranee lightly tensed up at the mention of Alchemy's name . . . a sensation which, unbeknownst to her, Csilla had managed to take note of.

" _Yes_ , yes, I _know!_ I'm a bit of a _procrastinator_ , okay, already!" the pigtailed girl said with folded arms, although her previous smile remained upon her face. "Besides that, Alchemy went home right after school, and the Grumper Twins have _completely_ lost their minds - _Don't_ ask. _Anyway!_ This time it's for a good cause, the reason I'm still not home yet! I met someone _new_ today at school, and I've been showing her around the city - She's here with me now, actually. I wanted to introduce her to you guys - Well, to _you_ , Taranee, specifically."

Taranee's heart jumped at this, causing her to instantly blush deeply as a result.

". . . . _M-Me?_ Really?" she barely squeaked out, gazing sheepishly at the beaming blonde in front of her from behind her dark framed eyeglasses. Taranee had never once stopped to think that Elyon regarded her outside of their shared new lives as Guardian Soldiers, let alone spoke about her to others. And although her heart, somewhere deep down, knew that it was rather foolish to think that way, especially about someone so honestly caring and friendly, her mind and insecurities continued to believe otherwise.

Still, it was quite a heartwarming revelation to learn that the other girl really _was_ thinking of her. . . .

"Yeah, of _course!_ I was telling her all about you, how _smart_ and _talented_ you are, and how - _H-Hey_ , where _is_ she?" Elyon began in reply, before abruptly cutting herself off after having looked about her immediate surroundings and at last realized that her unknown, newfound companion was nowhere to be seen. " _W-Will?_ Where did . . . ah! _There_ you are!"

Before neither Taranee, nor Csilla could have said another word, Elyon swiftly performed an about face, and rushed back the way she'd came, towards the nearby bus stop she'd apparently gotten off of. There, standing alone and rather awkwardly, at that, with a small army of what appeared to be green, black, and clear colored shopping bags was a fairly tall, and slender redhead.

". . . . Who do you suppose that is?" Taranee could hear Csilla softly murmur in inquiry, to which she did not attempt a reply, as her insides had just then began to feel curiously strange the longer she looked upon the newcomer.

"Come _on_ , Will!" Elyon spoke with her usual jubilation, as she blindly pulled the taller, bob haired girl behind her and back towards her awaiting comrades. Pausing for a moment, Elyon cleared her throat before speaking once more. "Taranee, this is my new friend, Wilhelmina Vandom - Although she says she just likes to be called ' _Will_ ,' instead, which I _totally_ can't understand, with _such_ a great name as hers. _Anyway!_ She's a recent transfer student to Heatherfield High, and just started today! She's kind of on the tomboyish side, as you can tell from her clothes . . . _sorta_ , anyway. But, she's also _really_ into frogs, and is a _fabulous_ cook, too! _I_ should know, since I nearly ate the whole of her _ridiculously_ yummy lunch earlier today!"

As both Taranee and Csilla silently listened to Elyon's ramblings, with the redhead now known as Wilhelmina, or Will, faintly smiling in what looked to be mild embarrassment, the two began to simultaneously, as well as unknowingly share the same sensations Taranee had been feeling only moments before.

_. . . . What could it mean? Is it because of this girl?_ the French-braided girl thought within perplexity, doing her best to maintain the shy smile she had previously formed upon her caramel hued visage, as the overall feelings were beginning to become rather distracting. _. . . . I don't ever recall feeling this way before . . . I wonder what it could be. . . ._

". . . . And _this_ , Will, is Taranee Cook, whom I was telling you all about for practically the entire bus ride over here!" Taranee had just then been barely able to tune into the exuberant Elyon continue on, now having shifted her introductions onto the raven haired girl. "I'm _telling_ you, I've _never_ before met such an extremely intelligent girl as _her_ before - Which, I guess, makes it no surprise that she goes to that private school I'd mentioned before on the way here, too: 'Vesta's Academy for Girls!' If you've got questions, _she's_ got answers! And if you've got an issue to deal with, you can definitely bet that she'll have _some_ sort of solution for you! Which is why I'd said earlier that if you ever need help with _anything_ , you can _totally_ count on her!"

Taranee almost wished she hadn't heard such a strong compliment being said on her behalf, as it then caused her cheeks to grow painfully hot with abashment, as a result. However, it still greatly warmed her heart to have done so.

Doing her best to block out both her newfound embarrassment, in addition to the unexplained excessive of emotions she couldn't quite put her finger on, Taranee gave another meek smile at the tall redhead before her.

". . . . Nice to meet you, Miss Vandom," she said quietly, unable to look at Will for very long due to continued nerves, as she would alternate between looking upon her for a few moments, and then promptly shifted her gaze elsewhere.

Perhaps that was a good thing for Taranee, as she had, at that moment, just missed Will's formerly smiling expression wrinkle into one of perplexity.

". . . . Me too, Taranee . . . but, um . . . why did you call me ' _Miss Vandom_ ,' for?" she could be heard asking within honest inquiry, before Elyon softly chuckled with good humor and intervened.

"No worries, Will. Taranee's just really, _really_ big on respect and manners, and all," she explained lightheartedly, moving from her place next to Will, to a still blushing and honestly mortified resembling Taranee. "You'll get used to it in time, though, to tell the truth. I've sort of begun to just accept that that's how Taranee speaks, you know? But, I'd hate to hear what she'd call us if she _didn't_ like us, instead!"

Surprisingly in that moment, rather than feel disheartened or ashamed, as she usually would whenever the focus of her own personal mannerisms were brought up, Taranee only managed to smile sheepishly at this. Perhaps her heart's confidence within the blonde haired girl's loyalty and care for her was beginning to win out over the paranoia of her bothersome mind, at _last_. . . .

". . . . I see," Will softly spoke with a continued simper, before shifting her gaze onto the fluffy, grayish blue feline perched within Taranee's arms. "And is this your cat, Taranee? It's so _beautiful!_ Even that . . . odd looking birthmark or _whatever_ it is upon its forehead, as well!"

Elyon couldn't help but to giggle at the unexpected sight of Will suddenly cooing over the now abundantly pleased Csilla, of which the pigtailed girl had no doubt, while Taranee softly smiled in observance.

"Nope, Csilla's _my_ cat, Will . . . although sometimes _unfortunately_ so," Elyon lightly joked with a grin, both she and Taranee watching as Will began to gently scratch underneath the loudly purring female cat's neck. "But, all in all, she's been . . . pretty _interesting_ to have around."

Will looked away from the increasingly content Csilla, and smiled up at Taranee, before doing the same to Elyon.

"Well, she's certainly a _beauty_. What is she . . . a Russian Blue breed, I think, right?"

Elyon blinked a few times at this, before raising both of her eyebrows and shrugged.

". . . . Or something like that, I _guess_. All _I_ know is, I've fed her one too many times, and now she won't leave me alone," she replied with a broad smile, winking at the indignant sort of expression Csilla had then flashed at her. "But, I'll take your word for it, Will, seeing as you _did_ say that you really like animals, I'd just remembered again."

Will, and even Taranee, softly giggled after listening to the smallest girl speak, before the redhead slightly backed away and nodded. After which, an unexpected silence had then fallen upon the three of them, followed by an undeniable feeling of awkwardness.

Finally, biting down upon her lip, Elyon inhaled lightly, about to speak once more, before Will abruptly beat her to it.

". . . . Well, I'd better get going. It's getting late and all, and it _has_ been a pretty long day," she began with a small smile, readjusting her grip upon her shopping bags, before curiously handing a greater majority over to Elyon. "Here are your bags, Elyon, before I forget. . . . Thanks again for today, too . . . it was enjoyable. I guess I'll see you in school tomorrow, all right? _Oh!_ And it was very nice meeting you, Taranee - And you, _too_ , Csilla!"

Looking a bit disappointed at first, Elyon then flashed the tall, already retreating redhead another happy grin, as she nodded in understanding.

"Aww, all right then, I guess! See you tomorrow, Will!" she responded, both she and Taranee waving at Will for a few moments, before the ruby haired teenager turned around and headed back towards the slightly empty bus stop in the distance. Pausing for a moment, Elyon then spoke once more. ". . . . That sucks that she wasn't able to stay longer, though. I was hoping that all of us could have gone inside the café and grabbed a couple of smoothies or something, while getting to know one another some more. Can you believe that Will has actually _never_ heard of Cornelia Hale, _or_ Sailor V before I'd mentioned them both earlier today, Taranee? _Insane_ to think!"

Taranee merely smiled lightly at the news, as her mind (now that ample distractions had then been subsided), had promptly shifted back to its previous concern of the rather odd feelings she'd been experiencing throughout her premiere meeting with the girl in question.

". . . . Taranee? Are you all right?" Elyon gently asked with care, pulling her attention away from the bus stop where the slightly tall redhead continued to wait in front of. ". . . . You don't honestly look so well. Has our last battle with Deite taken more out of you than we'd thought? You didn't truthfully seem all right on our way home from Princess Étaín's ball, now that I think about it again. . . . Or, is it because of . . . _you_ know, our public debut that was in the newspapers this morning that's got you so frazzled looking now?"

Once more did Taranee suddenly grow rigid unexpectedly, and once more did Csilla take notice, although _this_ time, the feline was not entirely certain of the reason, as she might have possibly been during the previous occasion. . . .

Although honestly concerned for the reserved, kind intellectual, Csilla promptly escaped from the girl's secure hold and elegantly landed onto the hardened ground. For now, at least, whatever perhaps may have been secretly bothering Taranee would have to wait, as the recent events which had just then transpired between the curious redhead and Csilla's charges were currently far more pressing.

"Did you feel that? _Surely_ , Taranee, _you_ must have!" the furry animal gushed with an intense stare towards Will, who had just then gotten onto the bus which had arrived mere moments before.

Slowly beginning to frown, Taranee paused a moment, looking from Csilla, to a visibly confused Elyon, and then onto the retreating bus which currently held the questioning redhead.

". . . . I did, Csilla," she replied, barely above a whisper, as Csilla's and her mutual sensations, formerly overwhelming, began to subside, which only served to raise further suspicions for them both.

_Elyon_ , meanwhile, now feeling utterly out of the loop, promptly waved a hand into the air to seize her companions' attention, while maintaining her hold upon her ample, plastic shopping bags.

" _H-Hello_ , there? Yeah! _What_ did you two seem to feel together that I _clearly_ did not this entire time?" she asked, a bit pressingly. She watched as Taranee and Csilla shared a glance with one another once more, before the raven haired girl was the first to respond.

". . . . I'm not entirely sure, but . . . I think that . . . perhaps that girl may be a fellow _Guardian Soldier_ ," the brown eyed genius carefully revealed, studying Elyon's utterly taken aback expression which had then followed.

"N-No, way! _Really_ , Taranee? You _really_ believe that Will might be the next member of the group we're meant to find?" she gushed within inquiry, turning attention onto the already vanishing bus that her new friend was currently on. "But, how do you _know?_ Oh! _R-Right_ , sorry! It's because of your special 'sixth sense,' right?"

Taranee nodded with a mechanical slowness at this, faintly blushing as she awkwardly readjusted her dark and slender framed eyeglasses upon her face.

". . . . Yes, Miss Brown, it is. I'm actually just as surprised as _you_ are that my gifts are even _able_ to pick up on something like that, though. . . . It's all so new," she remarked softly, silently marveling at the seemingly newfound facets to the innate ability that even she, herself, was apparently not previously aware of. "But . . . the more I think about it, the more _sure_ I feel about this . . . about _her_. Plus, _Csilla_ , too, seemed to have picked up on the very same feelings I had while Miss Vandom was here. . . ."

"Yes! She _has_ to be the one, indeed!" Csilla chimed in with a firm nod, her long, slender tail swishing animatedly back and forth within the air. Silence had then claimed the trio once more, as each allowed the weight of the excited possibility that the red haired newcomer could very well be the next Guardian Soldier to join their midst . . . until, suddenly, Elyon sharply gasped within blatant upset.

" _Ah!_ My mom's _dry-cleaning!_ Oh, my God, I totally _forgot!"_ she exclaimed in horror, upon having fleetingly gazed upon her wristwatch. She then gave an apologetic, lopsided sort of smile towards a visibly perplexed Taranee, and a rather _irked_ Csilla before her. "Now _I'm_ the one who's gotta book it, otherwise my mother _will_ destroy me if I _don't!_ Guess we'll just have to talk about this later, all right? I'll hopefully see _you_ again tomorrow, too, Taranee! And, Csilla? _Do_ be sure to take your time coming home, as I _know_ you'll probably just _yell_ at me, as always, for 'neglecting my responsibilities,' or _something_ like that. . . ."

Before either remaining female could properly respond, the fairly flighty young teenager gave a quick wave of goodbye towards them both, before turning on her heel and hurriedly scampering away within the other direction she'd previously been facing.

It was then that Taranee had caught sight of the pigtailed girl's peculiar, blackened stain crudely decorating the back of her white colored skirt for the first time, and slowly raised an eyebrow out of curiosity.

". . . . Do I . . . _want_ to know what _that_ is about, Csilla?" she softly queried, pointing discreetly toward Elyon's currently retreating bottom, after having turned within her spot to watch after the other girl.

Csilla sighed gently, before lightly shaking her fur riddled head.

". . . . Perhaps, but seeing as it had occurred due to a _thankfully_ resolved issue, and this _is_ Elyon we are talking about - Who has proven herself of being quite the . . . ' _curious'_ sort of girl - I'd say that it'd be best to leave it alone," she replied with a tender sigh in defeat, vexingly watching her primary charge vanish around a nearby corner.

Taranee merely nodded briefly in reply, before a faint smile slowly spread itself across her flawless visage while continuing to stare straight ahead.

". . . . Maybe . . . but that's what makes her so _interesting_ to be around," she softly admitted within growing fondness of the friendly and cheerful blonde in question, her heart swelling, while her worrisome mind thankfully continued to lay dormant in regard to the duo's budding friendship. . . .

 

* * *

" _There_. First batch baked, packed away and ready to go! _Now_ , onto the second batch," Will lightly murmured to herself with a faint smile, after having finished carefully removing the freshly baked cinnamon buns she had previously been baking from its cooling rack, and into a medium sized plastic container.

 

It was evening now, nearly approaching nine o'clock, in addition to the redhead's usual set bedtime. And even though this was the case, coupled with the fact that the dinner dishes had yet to be washed and put away, _or_ her homework yet to be completed, Will was nonetheless busying herself within her moderately sized kitchen with her baking.

But then, she'd _always_ seemed to prefer cooking, specifically _baking_ , at night, which usually resulted in lost hours of sleep, due to the various treats she would make well into the early morning hours. Will didn't honestly mind, though, as creating brand new culinary dishes was something she readily enjoyed over the last year, and would always put her at ease, without fail.

Of all of the talents or skills she had learned along the way within her young life, baking was quite assuredly near the top of her list. . . .

Wanting to find some way to better express the gratitude she had felt for having hung out with the rather jovial Elyon Brown, Will had decided, almost as soon as she had arrived home later on that same day, to bake the pigtailed girl her own, personal batch of the dessert she had seemed to enjoy immensely during their shared lunch that afternoon.

The redhead couldn't help but to find herself replaying the entire day, the parts which had been spent with Elyon, at least, over and over within her mind for the rest of afternoon, and into the early evening. Each time that she would, a smile would renew itself upon her naturally tawny complexion repeatedly, and an overall warm feeling would settle itself straight into her heart.

Such a strange, almost _bothersome_ , although generally pleasant effect the bubbly teenager seemed to possess upon Will, quite possibly to the point of near _insanity_ , the more she'd tried to comprehend it. What _was_ it about this girl, this _one_ girl, who had managed to awaken within the redhead far more emotion than she'd ever cared to previously acknowledge, and had believed to have been long since buried over time?

_. . . . Maybe it's because she kind of reminds you of how_ _you_ _used to be, yourself . . . before everything had changed forever_ , a new, fiercely unwanted thought had suddenly then come to Will, after having placed the second batch of unbaked, homemade cinnamon buns into the awaiting oven. She slowly began to frown deeply as she closed the black colored oven door, before taking off the green hued oven mitt she had placed protectively upon her right hand, and blindly tossed it on top of the stove before her.

Will briefly began to marvel at how she could have honestly forgotten, even if only for an hour and a half's worth time of baking, about the memories of her old life, and the tragic circumstances which had bestowed onto her a _new_ one she did not think she would ever be free of, _nor_ get used to.

After all, it was something her mind would constantly remind her of everyday she would awaken, and what her dreams would showcase for her nearly every night, as each would rewind moments of past memories she could never retrieve again. . . .

Her personal life was something Will would always make a strong point to keep fiercely concealed wherever she went, also making it an even furthered point to keep to herself and go about her own business, while leaving those around her to their _own_ devices, accordingly, as well. Doing so, however, admittedly made the young girl's life a rather lonely, untrusting one, leaving her with an even lonelier amount of companions.

But, no . . . perhaps Will could now be able to actively count _Elyon_ as one of, or rather, the _only_ friend she currently possessed? After all, the other girl _did_ technically refer to her as such, after having gone out of her way to get to know the redhead.

And, even _more_ surprisingly, Will, herself, had more or less willingly opened up and divulged pieces of her personal life to the blonde, as well, in spite of her private resolution never to do precisely that with anyone.

". . . . Why _did_ I do that, for? It . . . almost felt sort of like . . . _second nature_ , or something, to be so candid with that girl," the crimson haired girl gently spoke to herself, before exhaling loudly within frustration. " _Argh!_ What's the _matter_ with me? It's like I don't know which way is _up_ anymore! I'm feeling and _saying_ things that I don't normally, and everything no longer seems to make _sense!_ . . . . And it all seems to be because of that _one_ girl . . . _Elyon_. . . ."

Feeling a mild headache beginning to form, Will promptly moved from out of the kitchen, and into her empty, adjacent living room. Carelessly dropping her body onto the beige, four-seated, and uniquely L-shaped sofa with a sigh, the redhead then tiredly raised both of her strong legs onto the small ottoman of the same color before her.

Looking about the decently spaced area, Will began to survey its overall, white walled and rather impressive décor . . . for the _most_ part, at least. Looking to her left, she idly gazed upon the walled, plasma screen television she had yet to watch (and highly doubted that she quite honestly ever _would_ , given that television watching had never really been her thing, overall), and then to the executive-sized, mahogany desk placed directly at its right, with its modest-sized desk lamp and slim cordless handset telephone perched upon it.

Now, _that_ particular piece of furniture she could and most likely _would_ be using a lot within the near future, primarily for all of the homework she would undoubtedly be receiving within the near future, courtesy of her new school. Plus, at the _very_ least, having to be seated there for however long necessary during those instances wouldn't be all _that_ bad, as the grand double windows the desk was propped up against held an honestly beautiful view which overlooked the general scope of the seaside city.

The longer she thought about it, about the only rooms within her home that Will _didn't_ mind so much were the kitchen, and master bedroom. When she had first stepped foot into her new living quarters only a month and a half ago, the spacious, open area designed kitchen was also the very first feature to the abode she had noticed. Although, to be fair, it would have been quite difficult not to, given that it'd have been the premiere sight any _other_ individual walking into the immediate area would have noticed (besides the living room, of course, which was a mere eight feet and beeline from the front door), having been built to the left of the entrance just a few feet away.

Regardless, Will had instantly begun to feel a connection, so to speak (knowing full well that that particular area would be where she'd be spending the majority of her time), and was quite pleased to see that the avid request she had made to management to have an adequate kitchen within her home before moving in had not been ignored.

It wasn't stadium sized, as it were, but it certainly had been gorgeously designed. An L-shaped, marble countertop, maple wood placed beneath it and used for the utensil drawers and trash cabinet; a small but sturdy, black colored oven stovetop stationed within the center; and a silver, single basin sink which was placed to the right of it.

The two, white colored and admittedly small cupboards built on either side of the stove's overhead light were rather unique to Will, as well, as they had been shaped almost box-like, and with glass doors, as well. Perhaps the niftiest feature within the girl's new kitchen was its refrigerator, quite miniscule in size, and cleverly hidden within the tail end of the counter. Will would have honestly never known it'd even existed, were it not for the handle which matched the ones for the utensil drawers, _and_ the observant fact that there hadn't seemed to be a refrigerator placed anywhere within the vicinity, at all.

Indeed. While she was quite positive that an order for a new, much larger refrigerator would eventually need to be made some time within the near future, Will was overall content with her newfound kitchen, as it had all of the basic essentials both desired and required.

Besides, the notion that less was more had always applied to the young girl throughout the majority of her life, which was another reason why she'd felt rather copasetic with her new _bedroom_ , as well. Another eccentrically designed area, the green and tan color schemed room curiously acted as both a bedroom _and_ bathroom, a fact which had originally boggled Will's mind once she had realized this.

The actual sleeping area had, of course, a plush, queen sized bed, with two night tables placed on either side and lamps set upon both; an elongated, maple hued dresser drawer with a grand wall mirror hanging over it (and yet _another_ , although thankfully _smaller_ plasma screen television placed upon the edge and directly before the bed for easier viewing); and two black chairs placed around a circular and equally black table (which were set before rather large and floor-length windows, similar in design to that of the living room).

And then, so quirkily constructed and placed not but a mere three feet away from the young teenager's bed, was her quaint and intimate sized bathtub, set upon green and white colored bathroom tiles (in stark contrast to the adjacent, pale green carpeting adorning her sleeping quarters). Immediately next to the tub was a light blue colored bath stool of sorts, where several rolled up towels were neatly placed, and a medium sized and beige colored sink area directly behind it.

All of this, the entire bath area, could be neatly concealed with the thick and olive tinted, velvet made curtain drapes, rather than a traditional door; however, Will had yet to undo them from the tied state and pull them closed, as she was the only resident within the entire living quarters, let alone her bedroom, after all.

All things considered, the redhead found her newfound home to be quite tolerable enough, to say the least, with little to no complaint to neither speak nor think of . . . _yet_.

_Of course, the_ _telephone_ _I can probably do without, as well, like the television sets, seeing as I don't honestly expect_ _any_ _phone calls to come flooding in any time soon . . . well, maybe not from any other individuals except_ _them_ _, that is, and when they would unfortunately need my approval upon certain matters here and there_ , Will thought morosely with a small sigh, a light frown forming upon her naturally tanned complexion.

She often tried her very best to forget all _about_ them, _and_ the generally unwanted responsibilities they'd most likely soon bring. And she _especially_ tried even harder not to focus upon the new area and environment in which she lived; however, it was most often to no avail.

After all, it was not every day that someone of her age and perhaps of normal standing could lay claim to living within one of the top hotels in the country - And _alone_ , at that.

_The Garrick Plaza Hotel_.

One of _hundreds_ , in fact, that Will currently had the displeasure of being owner to, which she could promptly lay thanks squarely upon the lap of her deceased father, Thomas. To this very day, Will _still_ found herself having a rather difficult time understanding that man's actions for having appointed _her_ the sole beneficiary to all of his assets, _including_ the fairly substantial wealth that he had never _once_ honestly bothered to spend upon her (and _especially_ not her _mother_ ) while he had been alive.

After all, Thomas had been, for a lack of a better word, quite the _rapacious_ individual, cold and detached from any and all concerns which hadn't involved either himself, directly, or his mounting business. Still, he had been Will's _father_ , the only one she had had or ever would . . . and so, naturally, she had always given rather _futile_ attempts to win both his affection, as well as attention while growing up as a young child.

_Even during the times whenever he'd argue excessively with Mom. . . ._ the brown eyed girl silently reflected, a tiny lump forming within her throat, as her mind began to unavailingly delve back into a past she so dearly wished to put behind her once and for all.

She couldn't help but to feel immediately angry with herself, even a bit _dirty_ , at how she could have _ever_ bothered to try to win the love of a man who _clearly_ could not have cared less, even for his own _wife_. Through all of her _own_ various faults, Will's mother, Susan, had always seemed to have been quite the good spouse to Thomas. Dutiful, patient, and kind, she had always been ready to forgive and move forward, no matter _how_ many times her husband would shout and repeatedly break her heart.

A homemaker, Susan had always tried her best in raising Will, which the majority had admittedly been by her lonesome, loving her daughter enough for both Thomas _and_ herself, combined, it would sometimes feel like. And even though their family had been honestly slightly more than merely well off (especially as time went on and Thomas's hotel management empire gradually began to flourish), Will's mother had never once spoiled her with anything lavish or expensive. It had been her hope, as she had once informed her daughter of, that Will would grow up learning the _true_ meaning of happiness, and how it could not be found at the end of an extremely large paycheck.

It was almost laughable for Will to think upon her mother's words now, considering that she was _far_ from being happy . . . and ironically enough, having _her_ to thank for it, as well.

Deep down, Will had had the feeling that the only reason someone as pretty intelligent and otherwise grounded as her mother could have stayed married to such a tyrant of a man as her father, _and_ for so long, was on her _own_ behalf. So that Will could have had the benefit of growing up with the _both_ of her parents together, such as it was.

However, all of that, _everything_ she had ever known, had forever changed on the very day that Thomas had passed away, of a sudden aneurysm while at work, when Will was only twelve-years-old. . . . Things may not have _immediately_ transformed for her right after that tragic incident; however, it had set into motion many, perhaps _equally_ tragic occurrences which had led her up to her current point.

_Unlucky thirteen. . . ._ Will thought, inhaling deeply as she struggled to keep the tears which were regrettably then beginning to form. She solemnly bowed her crimson colored head, cradling it delicately within the palms of her hands, as her mind traveled further and further back in time, and onto yet another fateful day just a year later. . . .

It had been a Friday afternoon, and excitement over it having been the beginning to yet another weekend, in addition to the promise of much needed bonding between her mother and herself had held Will within its grip for the majority of that particular school day.

However, the very moment she had stepped foot into her home, the loft she had grown up within and continued to live alongside her mother, even after her father's passing (as hard as it had admittedly been to do for them both, at times), had appeared eerily bare, and with no sign of the older, ebony haired woman who was supposed to have been there, awaiting her daughter's arrival as planned. . . .

Naturally, at the sight of the suddenly more vacant living quarters, Will had promptly surmised that both she and her mother had been robbed, and had immediately notified the authorities, before then dialing her mother's cellphone number . . . only to have discovered that it was eerily no longer in service.

Panic stricken and immediately thinking the worst, Will had rushed into her mother's bedroom to search for clues, just as the police had arrived to assist her several minutes later. She could recall how it had taken the effort of _both_ the officers who had come to answer her frantic call, to calm her down, trying their very best to assure her that everything would be all right . . . until they had found the explicitly detailed letter waiting for Will upon her still made bed within her own bedroom, with words which she would later commit to memory and quite possibly be haunted with for the rest of her life:

_My Dearest Will,_

_I wish that I could ask you, with much confidence, not to be alarmed, let alone find it within yourself to forgive me for what I have done. But, I know that_ _ neither _ _is quite unlikely to happen, if at all._

_I'll admit that what I've done, what I have consciously_ _ chosen _ _to do, is beyond cowardly, and undeniably unfair and even a bit_ _ cruel _ _to you . . . however, there is no turning back, even_ _ if _ _I had any regrets - Which, of course, I am sure that I will spend the rest of my life harboring. . . ._

_I have endured quite a great deal within my life, more than a lot of people who have known me have ever been aware of, and certainly_ _ you _ _, least of all. But, after your father had passed away last year, as much of a monster it will make me sound like to admit this, to you, his own daughter, I found myself feeling far more . . ._ _ elated _ _, I suppose you could say, than grief stricken._

_My premiere series of thoughts, during the first few weeks after his sudden demise, had honestly consisted of this_ _ finally _ _being a chance for me to start over with my life. To_ _ live _ _, period, actually, as I had always felt as though I was_ _ trapped _ _within a prison throughout the twelve years of my marriage to your father._

_I feel all the_ _ more _ _horrible to finally divulge all of this to you, especially in this way, sweetheart, but I wanted you to at least have some_ _ sort _ _of understanding, if not acceptance, for my current actions. While I_ _ had _ _initially loved him during the beginning our whirlwind romance and even shorter courtship, that love I had tried my very best to hold onto, even throughout all of our future arguments and his erratic behavior, began to fade in time._

_Thomas was, to be perfectly forthright, a rather_ _ difficult _ _man to get along with, Will, even before we had married. But, I was such a young and naïve girl at the time we had met, having only been nineteen-years-old, just starting college and away from home for the very first time. And then, here was this twenty-five-year-old, suave, confident and sweet-talking young man somehow noticing and taking an interest in me, during one night I had gone out to a night club with some of my girlfriends . . . it was all so overwhelming_ _ and _ _exciting to me, all at once._

_Still, I had fallen in love with him, and hard, wanting nothing more than to be with him for always. I had lost myself within my adoration for him,_ _ so _ _much so that I hadn't honestly minded once I had learned that I was suddenly pregnant with you, and would have had to drop out of school because of it. I was just so very_ _ sure _ _that Thomas would do the right thing by me and ask me to marry him, which, of course, he had . . . which, looking back upon now, I sometimes wish that he_ _ hadn't _ _, and had left me to raise you on my own, instead. But then, that was what I had ended up doing throughout the majority of our marriage,_ _ anyhow _ _. . . ._

_You_ _ have _ _to understand, have to_ _ know _ _that I have never once regretted carrying you to full term, Will, raising and loving you. Not_ _ once _ _. But, it had been absolute_ _ Hell _ _having to do so with that man . . . the one who hadn't hesitated to show his true colors to me promptly after we had married._

_A_ _ tyrant _ _._

_A control freak._

_An overzealous,_ _ pompous _ _, and honestly at times_ _ terrifying _ _man, who did not care for anyone or anything but_ _ himself _ _. . . and perhaps his money, something which he'd never let me lay a hand on_ _ or _ _ever once spent on me, even while we had been dating._

_So, you can imagine how extra difficult it had been for me, a mere homemaker (which had been at_ _ his _ _insistence, having fed me more of his sweet talking lies at the time, of how he didn't want the mother of his child and the love of his life to have to ever work hard at some day job, when he would always be around to care for us both), to struggle to properly care for you financially, practically having to_ _ beg _ _the majority of the time for Thomas to contribute, as a father rightly_ _ should _ _._

_It was all so_ _ demeaning _ _and_ _ humiliating _ _, and immensely frustrating to be so close to riches, but unable to ever do anything_ _ with _ _it, even for the sake of our own child. But, that's who and how Thomas was, distrusting and spiteful to the core._

_I know that I had told you that it was because I'd wanted you to grow up knowing the true value of a dollar as the reason why I had always refused to spoil you, Will, and it had been the truth . . . but, now you also know the_ _ rest _ _of the truth, as well. . . ._

_Twelve years . . . twelve long, grueling and emotionally debilitating years I had spent with that man, and had endured his abuse and ruthlessness . . . all for_ _ you _ _. So that you would have grown up within a complete family . . . such as it was._

_And I would have done it all again, if need be, because I love you that much, Will._

_But . . . now that Thomas is gone, I_ _ finally _ _have a chance to start again . . . and, God help me, I'm going to take it._

_I can at last go back to_ _ school _ _, and achieve the dream I've always had of becoming an engineer. I can build a brand new life for myself, in any way that_ _ I _ _see fit and_ _ without _ _anyone telling me,_ _ commanding _ _me how to live it anymore. And . . . as much as I love and treasure you,_ _ and _ _being your mother . . . it is just too_ _ painful _ _for me to continue being so._

_Even though he was a_ _ horrible _ _man, Thomas was still my husband . . . and every time I look at you,_ _ especially _ _now that he is gone, he is all I see. You have always favored_ _ his _ _features most, you know. The same hair shade . . . the same skin tone . . . even the same trait of tallness. And those_ _ eyes _ _. . . oh, how_ _ much _ _your eyes resemble your father's, only with actual_ _ love _ _and_ _ kindness _ _shining forth within them, in contrast. . . ._

_Still . . . every time I'd look into them, I was always reminded of him, as though he hadn't really left, after all, and was still_ _ very _ _much alive. . . ._

_And so, that is why . . . as heart wrenching and as difficult as it was for me to do, I have emancipated myself from you as your parent. . . . That is, I have legally given up all of my active rights as your mother . . . forever, Will._

_It is_ _ extremely _ _selfish of me to have done, I know . . . but I could barely handle the responsibilities as your mother even while I was still married to your father. And now that he is gone, making me both a widow_ _ and _ _a single mother, for real this time, it was all that I could take._

_I cannot attempt to continue raising you, upon the meager income I had only just started to earn in the last few months from my job at the grocery store (as you now know, courtesy of your father having made_ _ explicitly _ _sure_ _ not _ _to include me within his will),_ _ and _ _attempt to try to go back to school to earn my degree at the same time. And I_ _ certainly _ _did not want for you to suffer for any of it, either._

_This is for the best, Will . . . I am_ _ sure _ _of it. I_ _ have _ _to be, or else I will only continue to fall apart, as I_ _ have _ _been over my decision. . . . I know that you will be just fine within your life on your own, because I have_ _ always _ _seen a fierce strength within you that I have always both admired as well as envied, never having had the same for myself._

_But, maybe now, by doing this, I finally_ _ can _ _. . . ._

_Please do not attempt to find me, honey, as it would only make things that much harder upon the both of us. All that I ask is that you live your life to the_ _ fullest _ _, in a way that_ _ I _ _never could, and be happy no matter_ _ what _ _you pursue or where you go._

_I know that I have no right to make any sort of requests of you at this point . . . but they will still be what I will always hope and pray upon for you,_ _ every _ _day and for all the rest of my days._

_ Always _ _remember that I love you, my sweet Will, with all of my heart, that I will be thinking of you always, and that everything I have ever done, I have done for_ _ you _ _. . . ._

_With All of My Love, For Always,_

_Your Mother. . . ._

Will could remember having immediately gone into shock and denial upon having finished read that gut wrenching letter of goodbye, absolutely _refusing_ to believe that her own _mother_ , a woman who had always been pretty selfless and loving toward her throughout the years, could have possibly done such a despicable thing.

To _abandon_ her.

To cut off all ties with the young girl, having _snuck_ out of their home _and_ her life while she had been at school, knowing full well that the promises she had made earlier on that week of the two of them using that upcoming weekend to bond would never be fulfilled. . . .

It had taken Will a full two weeks to muster any sort of resolve to force herself to leave her mother's bedroom (where she had since remained after having read the woman's last form of contact with her daughter, curled up into a ball upon her bed and nearly drowning within her free falling tears of sorrow) in order to at last eat something, and only _then_ it had been very small portions.

Phone calls and voice messages of concern from her school had by then started to pour in, but she hadn't cared. She no longer cared about _anything_ , let alone her academic career. The year before she had lost her father, and now, a little over a year later, she had abruptly lost her _mother_ , as well. . . .

It hadn't been until the following week when the rest of her newfound life had begun to piece itself together, when an elderly man suddenly appeared at Will's door, having introduced himself as one of her father's oldest colleagues, in addition to co-executive of the Garrick Plaza Hotel establishment he had partially helped to build from the ground up.

The man, a Mr. Milorad Sorge, had solemnly expressed his condolences to the already emotionally numbing Will, before explaining that he'd have been around to call upon her much sooner, had several legal affairs to her father's estate had been readily sorted earlier on.

The redhead had honestly only been half listening to the gray haired, blue-eyed and admittedly kind faced man (an observation which had surprised her all the more to have had learned that he'd freely associated with such a man as her father, let _alone_ having had done business with him throughout the years) went on to reveal how her father had drawn up a second, _separate_ will, which had primarily concerned her, as _well_ as her future. . . .

" _. . . . Your father . . . wasn't exactly the_ _easiest_ _man to have gotten along with, I know, young lady," Mr. Sorge had commented, his pale face growing red with evident shame to have openly admitted, and to the deceased man's own child, no less. "However, he was a good_ _businessman_ _. One of the_ _best_ _I have ever had the privilege of working with, in fact. He had taken his hotel business - One he had inherited from his father upon his death many years ago, and during a time when it had been nearing bankruptcy, I might add - and had transformed it into what it is today, and all through his hard work and quite the cunning initiative. And for that reason alone, he will_ _always_ _have my respect. . . ._

_But, I digress. . . . I have come here, Will, to inform you that it has been recently discovered that your father has created_ _ another _ _will, one separate from the one that your mother and yourself had been made aware of within the previous year . . . and, I must say that I was surprised to learn that it concerns_ _ you _ _, and you_ _ alone _ _. . . ._

_You see . . . in it, your father has made rather_ _ explicit _ _instructions to make you the sole heiress to his hotel empire - Much in the way that his father had done before him, I suppose - and all of the assets and benefits attached therein, including a rather substantial trust fund, to be activated within the event that something should ever happen to him. . . ._

_He . . . had_ _ also _ _been, I am rather apologetic to have to disclose, all the_ _ more _ _adamant that his_ _ wife _ _, your mother,_ _ not _ _be made a part of said newfound fortune, and that any attempt made on your part would result within the conditions of your financial inheritance to be instantly null and void. . . . Despite having made her sign a fairly extensive prenuptial agreement prior to their having married, as it is now to my understanding, Thomas had apparently wished to make_ _ extra _ _certain that your mother would never be able to lay claim to_ _ any _ _part of his money,_ _ or _ _business, it seems. . . ._

_I wish that I could say that this overall news is one emitted with joy, young lady, given that I am forced to more or less reveal the true nature of your parents' relationship, as a result . . . however, at least you can now rest easy knowing that you will be financially set for the remainder of your hopefully long life. And_ _ I _ _, of course, will be right there to assist you in any way that I can, should you like. . . ."_

To this very day, Will remained unsure of whether or not Mr. Sorge had been aware of the then newfound predicament her mother had placed her within, prior to having arrived to her home on that day, the way he had ended their solemn conversation . . . or, moreover, if her own _father_ had somehow known, himself, perhaps even before his _wife_ had, that she would one day abandon their daughter and essentially leave her penniless.

Thomas Vandom _had_ always been the type of individual to inexplicably remain three steps ahead of everyone else, after all.

_And, who knows? Maybe_ _that's_ _why Mom had seemed to feel so confident within her decision . . . because she'd possibly had had a feeling that he would have left me with at least_ _something_ _, money wise . . . even though he had never shown me anything but neglect and_ _coldness_ _throughout his life_ , Will mused with an embarrassed sniffle, before roughly wiping away the tears which had trickled down her smooth cheeks.

Standing up abruptly, the scowl upon her face deepening, Will then made her way towards the large living room window, and opened up the sliding glass door which led out onto a small, but sturdy balcony. Leaning over the black colored railing, she forlornly peered down at the miniscule sized vehicles passing to and fro from way down below, while the large, deep orange hued Florida sun continued to set over the vast ocean in the distance.

It was rather ironic to her, to have had _one_ parent who had always both shown _and_ showered her with love and attention while growing up suddenly up and _leave_ her without much of a second thought, while the _other_ , who had basically _disowned_ her, if only emotionally, had soundly (or _unsoundly_ , she wasn't entirely certain) bequeathed the bulk of his wealth and legacy all to her. . . .

Regardless, Will had decided right then and there, on that very same day back then, that she _was_ going to make it within her life and be as successful and stable as she could manage, in _spite_ of either one of them. And even though she was now financially secure for a good long while, if not the rest of her life, indeed, Will had _also_ attempted to find a _new_ place to live during that same year.

She, very much like her mother in that way, could no longer bear to continue living within a home which no longer _felt_ like one by then, and was so wrought with painful emotion. And so, with the help of Mr. Sorge to guide her, and as one of her premiere acts as a newly recognized adult within the eyes of the law, Will had eventually managed to find a new buyer for her family's forgotten loft and promptly moved out soon thereafter. . . even _before_ she had managed to secure a new home for _herself_.

Mr. Sorge had suggested that she simply move into one of her family's nearby hotels within the area, instead, to which the redhead had swiftly and most _adamantly_ disagreed upon. It had been bad enough that she had suddenly found herself having become the newest (in addition to youngest) head executive to the entire company; it certainly did not mean that she'd wanted to play any further part within said new title, which _included_ stepping foot within any of her father's hotels ever again, let alone _living_ within one.

However, despite having been legally appointed as an adult, Will had found her hometown of Fadden Hills to be less than accommodating where residencies for someone of _her_ young age was concerned, until eventually she'd decided to simply move out of state, altogether.

She just hadn't bargained that the new city she had ultimately settled upon, _Heatherfield_ , would have been so very _crowded_ , with virtually no available vacancies within _any_ of its established apartment complexes. . . . And so, after _much_ deliberation and procrastination, Will had reluctantly agreed to move into one of her father's hotels, after all, which was situated within downtown Heatherfield (and _unfortunately_ not too far away from her newfound school, at that, within furthered aggravation); however, it had not been done so without a good deal of Mr. Sorge's adamant, concerned coaxing, or without several, personal stipulations of her own. . . .

" _If I_ _have_ _to live . . ._ _there_ _, then at_ _least_ _let me choose a room that's_ _normal_ _, Mr. S," Will had begrudgingly stated, a little over a month before she had officially moved into her newly chosen city, speaking over the telephone with the elderly man one afternoon. Although it_ _certainly_ _could not have been said that she had grown rather fond of him, he having been his father's ex-associate and continued co-foreseer of his empire, after all, Will had at the same time grown far less . . ._ _irked_ _by his presence, during each of the rather frequent visits he had paid to her on and off since that fateful afternoon, now over a year ago by that time._

_He wasn't family, and_ _ definitely _ _wasn't even really a_ _ friend _ _to her. But he_ _ was _ _still something,_ _ someone _ _, the_ _ only _ _one, in fact, left within Will's shattered life who showed any sort of close semblance of actual_ _ care _ _. And even though she had been doing her absolute best to pretend that she could from now on do without it, it had always felt a bit . . ._ _ nice _ _to simply know that such a feeling still existed where_ _ she _ _was concerned._

" _Ha, ha. I'm afraid that you seem to know me well enough by now - Or, at least, in_ _this_ _regard - to know that I had every intention of setting you up within the_ _finest_ _hotel room in there, if not the actual Presidential Plaza Suite, itself, Young Lady," Mr. Sorge had replied in between a small fit of raspy, although kindhearted laughter, having referred to the redhead by the makeshift sort of nickname he had long since adopted for her, and did not honestly really seem to bother her all that much to be called by. "And, to tell the truth, the very moment you had agreed to live there, I had already made several calls_ _down_ _there for that particular hotel management to begin swift arrangements for you in advance, in case you miraculously changed your mind about the choice in room . . . which, having gotten to know you a bit better in this last year, has shown me that you are certainly not at_ _all_ _the 'flashy, luxurious' type, like your fath - O-Oh . . . I am_ _sorry_ _, Will. . . ."_

_Even though the brief, although still quite noticeable slipup on the older man's part for having passed direct mention to her deceased father_ _ had _ _admittedly bothered her, if only for a moment, Will had merely shrugged it off . . . one of her many, newfound defense mechanism traits of survival she had established for herself over time._

" _. . . . Don't worry about it, Mr. S._ _Anyway_ _, like I said, I'll just be fine with a regular room -_ _Any_ _room, really, that could satisfy my basic needs. You know: shower, bedroom, and maybe even a microwave or something, so that I could heat up my meals. I_ _did_ _only just start taking those cooking classes down at that weekly culinary seminar you'd turned me onto a few months back, after all," the redhead had replied within a forced air of nonchalance over on her end of the telephone, before clearing her throat. "Oh, and also, so long as the people there, guests_ _and_ _staff, alike, won't really expect much of me, either. Like . . . whatever it is that_ _you_ _do, or . . ._ _he_ _did. I_ _may_ _technically own the place, and am legally on my own, but I'm still just a kid, really, who's just trying to make it through_ _high school_ _for starters, okay? Anything they'd need they can call_ _you_ _up and take it up with you. . . ."_

_Mr. Sorge had cleared his naturally soft spoken voice at this through the receiver, apparently in understanding._

" _Of course, Young Lady. As already discussed, I, and a few others who had also been working under your . . . well,_ _your_ _staff, will continue to take care of things, as always. Honestly, at best, the only thing that would require your attention is minor paperwork here and there, or any possible changes, décor and the like, we may try to implement," he had explained in confidence and reassurance to the young girl, before a smile could be heard filtering into his voice. "No worries, Young Lady; I_ _do_ _hope that you can trust that I . . . well, that I have your best interests always within mind. . . ._ _A-Anyhow_ _! I only wish that you hadn't chosen_ _Florida_ _of all states to relocate to, it being so far away from Maine, and all. It will certainly make coming to check upon you from time to time rather inconvenient, now, won't it? But then, it being Florida, and with me getting_ _up_ _there in age, I suspect that I shall be quite able to visit you far more often than either one of us would perhaps desire. . . ."_

Why _had_ Will chosen Heatherfield, chosen _Florida_ , for that matter, as the place where she would start all over again, anyhow? She could recall briefly pondering that very same question in passing, during the remainder of that same telephone conversation with the elderly man.

Even now, she still could not readily dream up an answer, except to say that it had simply . . . _come_ to her one day, when she had first started thinking about moving out of state. For _whatever_ reason, Florida had effortlessly popped into her mind . . . although, in _that_ regard, it _could_ have merely been due to the fact that Will had _also_ been thinking about getting as far away from her home state as possible, however at the same time staying somewhere along the East Coast, of which she had always been more partial.

But, why _Heatherfield?_ The entire moving process had honestly become a haze to the young girl by now; but, perhaps it could have simply been one of the cities she had done a little research on, while trying to find an area which was both affordable, as well as safe.

In _any_ event, she was now here, whether she liked it or not.

Reflecting upon that particular memory regarding the kind, aged man, although having had dealt with rather stressful issues, admittedly began to make Will feel a bit better, as the moments continued to pass. At least enough to cease her tears, anyhow, as she could no longer feel any more wishing to fall from her undoubtedly reddened eyes.

Mr. Sorge was, in truth, a good man, with good intentions; even someone with _her_ newfound jaded viewpoint upon the world as a whole could not readily deny that. And having him around _did_ admittedly lessen the worrisome burden of having to learn the ways of the business world, as well, or even have to pay much attention to her inherited "career."

Even no longer being able to see him face to face, and as often as she would have while she was still living within Maine truthfully did increase Will's feeling of overwhelming loneliness within her new city. Still . . . the _last_ thing she wanted to do was to grow attached to anyone ever again, _just_ so they could suddenly _leave_ her all alone all over again. . . .

_But then . . . why was I so_ _happy_ _to have gotten the chance to get to know_ _Elyon_ _, today? And why am I busy making_ _treats_ _for her?_ Will silently reflected within renewed frustration, her train of thought at last coming full circle, as she ran a clammy hand through her now messy cardinal colored locks. _And, why_ _her_ _? Why_ _now_ _?_

Fed up with all of her unwanted thoughts, suddenly feeling rather exhausted, as well, Will promptly turned back around to head back into her living room, before slowly moving into the kitchen to prematurely shut off her oven.

She simply hadn't any desire left within her to finish her baking anymore. . . .

". . . . Whatever. It doesn't matter _how_ she makes me feel, or _that_ she makes me feel, period. This doesn't change anything, _or_ the fact that I don't need _anyone_ for _anything_ ," Will spoke to herself within firm resolution, leaning over the dark stovetop and slowly balling up her strong fists upon them in furthered emphasis. ". . . . I've made it _this_ far alone, and so that's how I'll continue on . . . _alone_. . . ."

 

* * *

The following school day had merely brought on mere _worry_ , rather than the joy Elyon had initially been hoping for, and had experienced the previous day upon having gotten better acquainted with the intriguing new girl, Will. Worry, because she hadn't managed to catch sight of the relatively tall redhead during lunchtime, or any _other_ time during that new day, either.

 

Although having initially surmised that perhaps the other girl had merely chosen to understandably forgo eating lunch within the crowded courtyard once again, where all of the girls' fellow schoolmates could gawk, whisper and possibly jeer at her once more, Elyon had begun to slowly realize that there was a rather strong possibility that Will hadn't even attended school, _period_.

And the only reason that the blonde could have felt even _remotely_ positive about such a theory, was because the atmosphere throughout the entire school, quite honestly, had been significantly _different_. There hadn't been any sort of lingering tension throughout the halls, as there had been yesterday. There also weren't any _busybodies_ lurking about, and all too eager to discuss the latest possibly true, possibly _false_ news about the newcomer.

These, coupled with the fact that none of her immediate friends had been held within a renewed tizzy over the girl's supposed criminal record and dangerous side, and Elyon had known for near _certain_ that Will really had _not_ attended school on that particular day.

The end of her final period had done little to console her, in the way that it had just the previous day, for Elyon could not possibly venture throughout the _entire_ city in search of Will, the way she'd admittedly _wished_ to. It wasn't as though she was aware of any chosen hangout spots the redhead had possibly made for herself, let _alone_ where she lived. Will had made fairly _certain_ to keep Elyon within the dark about that specific detail, during the course of their outing together the previous afternoon, after all.

Still, she had to at _least_ try.

And so, there Elyon was, sat upon a lonely bus seat and traveling back into downtown Heatherfield, alone this time; it had been the only thing which had come to mind to do, upon leaving school grounds. She figured that Will had to live _somewhere_ near that particular vicinity, if not immediately within, as the girl had wanted to find a shopping area fairly close to her home.

It was as good a start as _any_ , at least . . . although, the blonde wasn't honestly certain why she had been feeling so compelled to locate the guarded Will, in the _first_ place.

_After all, maybe today was just a_ _sick_ _day for Will, and_ _that's_ _why she didn't show up to school . . . or, maybe she still had a lot of unpacking to do in her new place, and wanted to take the day off to do so_ , Elyon thought in reflection, as the bus was finally approaching her intended destination. _Still . . . even if that's the case, why do I feel like I_ _need_ _to see her again so badly for?_

Unable to readily find an answer to her admittedly puzzling inquiry, Elyon merely shrugged it off and began to hope for the best in regards to successfully locating the mysterious redhead, just as the relatively crowded bus had then groaned to a stop.

Hurriedly collecting her school belongings, Elyon draped her backpack over her left shoulder as she stood from her seat, her black colored flip flop sandals smacking a bit loudly against the slightly sticky floor of the large vehicle and in time to her fast paced movement.

It hadn't been until she had stepped off of the bus and had given her newfound surroundings a more proper look that the petite blonde had then realized her regrettable mistake: she had gotten off of the wrong bus stop!

"Oh, _God!_ How could I be so _stupid?_ I _just_ came down here _yesterday_ , too, with _me_ leading the way around for Will!" Elyon verbally scolded herself underneath her breath, watching with much chagrin as her fleeting ride was already rounding the corner in the nearby distance. "I just _had_ to be too distracted with my thoughts. . . . Great. _Now_ , I'll have to wait God knows how long for the _next_ bus. . . ."

Sighing deeply, the dishwater blonde readjusted her backpack upon her shoulder, before slowly making her way over to the nearby, empty bus benches to take a seat. Carelessly dropping herself onto it, Elyon began to impatiently tap her sandaled foot against the pavement in wait, before the green colored street sign to her right curiously caught her eye.

". . . . 'Lita Way?' Lita Way, Lita Way. . . . Oh, _right!_ _This_ must be where the Grumper Twins had come yesterday to watch that Wiley guy swim," she gradually recalled, further looking about her surroundings to then realize that it was _also_ the college area for the presumably nearby Marigold University. "Hmm . . . well, while I wait for the next bus to come, _and_ it's almost three o'clock, anyway, I may as well go check him out - Er, his _swimming_ , not _him!_ Ugh . . . _gotta_ stop talking to myself. . . ."

Softly blushing and shaking her head within fleeting dismay, Elyon slowly rose to her feet and began to walk down the fairly busy street in attempts to hopefully locate the Seasonal Recreational Center, where the evidently talented swimmer regularly frequented.

_I honestly can't understand what the_ _obsession_ _is about this guy that has made Courtney and Bess so_ _insane_ _lately_ , the pigtailed girl thought of her two friends' recent behavior of peculiarity, as she continued on within her walk. _I probably_ _should_ _leave it alone, since it_ _is_ _just a harmless crush, and all . . . but, now even their_ _own_ _friends, Maddie and Cassie have seemed to have gotten bitten by the 'Wiley Love Bug,' and_ _hard_ _, the way all four of them were gushing about him in the hallway this morning. . . ._

Rounding the same corner that her previous bus had, as well, Elyon was then beginning to wonder if she shouldn't discuss her admittedly befuddling concerns to Alchemy (who thankfully hadn't yet gone to witness the swimming superstar in action, herself, it seemed, as _she_ hadn't been acting differently thus far . . . that Elyon could tell, at least), when her newfound destination was already in view.

"Huh . . . well _that_ was fast, thankfully," Elyon pondered aloud to herself with a soft smile, quickening her pace before carefully crossing the street to reach the entrance to the recreational center up ahead. Once inside, the fair haired girl immediately began to feel daunted by the enormous interior of the professional establishment, gazing up at its high ceilings in awe.

After a few moments of ill-avoided stupor, Elyon promptly began to look more closely for any sort of hanging signs of direction, or at least a front desk, so that a receptionist could properly assist her. It was then that she'd thankfully noticed the large, black tinted building directory placed within the center of the area, and headed toward it.

"Hmm . . . let's see. Okay, so I am _here_ , which is the lobby. . . . And the twins said that Wiley is a _swimmer_ , sooo . . . he would be _there_ , down within the basement area, which is _also_ the ' _Aquatics Area_ ,'" Elyon murmured softly, after having carefully read the rather helpful and illuminated map face, before peering behind it to catch sight of the pair of silver faced elevators in the distance.

Traveling towards them in silence, the blonde curiously began to feel a bit apprehensive . . . but, _why?_ It _certainly_ couldn't be out of fear that she, too, would suddenly fall head over heels in love with the young college student, much in the same manner that the _Grumper Sisters_ and their friends had effortlessly seemed to have done.

After all, Elyon was _far_ too busy trying to earn the romantic attentions of her dear Cedric (and . . . perhaps the attentions of _another_ , although she wasn't precisely ready to actively admit it to herself quite yet, or even readily realize). He was _more_ than enough for her, really, and could probably swim _circles_ around this Wiley individual if he'd ever wanted to, she was quite positive of.

So, then, what _could_ it be?

After stepping out of the elevator, a minute or so later, Elyon was overwhelmed by the instant sounds of various, high pitched screams wafting from around a nearby corner to her left. Initially alarmed, she gradually began to relax upon making a strong connection that the screaming was most likely coming from the platoon of female fans Wiley had apparently cultivated for himself, who also clearly had to be immediately nearby, as well.

Sure enough, as soon as she'd turned the corner, Elyon was met with a great gaggle of young women, ranging both in age as well as ethnicities, either sitting or standing within spectator stands which overlooked a grand, Olympic sized swimming pool.

And there, currently slicing through the crystalline water at a rather fast pace was the lone Wiley Amato.

". . . . Even _without_ having seen Bess and Courtney's pictures of the guy yesterday, I'd _still_ definitely know that it was him, based upon the immense, all-female crowd he has here," Elyon said to herself with an admittedly impressed air, before awkwardly heading into the crowded swimming area.

As she got closer to the sea of female supporters (with the majority of each attempting to scream at the top of her lungs, while the rest repeatedly chanted Wiley's name), the petite teenager saw something she thought she'd never see within such a current environment . . . or, rather, _someone_.

". . . . _W-Will?_ No, way! _Will!_ " Elyon promptly called out to the taller girl in the distance before her, who was propped up against a row of folded, unused bleachers off to the side. She stood, alone and rather stoically, with a facial expression which effortlessly seemed to express . . . anguish?

Elyon stopped short upon having witnessed this, unsure of whether or not she shouldn't instead leave the girl be, especially since it did not seem as though Will had yet to take notice of her newfound presence.

_. . . . I wonder what's the matter?_ she thought with immediate concern for her new friend, studying the redhead's tawny hued face even further. _She looks so . . ._ _sad_ _, or even . . . heartbroken or_ _lovesick_ _. . . . Hey, maybe_ _that's_ _it! Maybe she's got a thing for Wiley, too, just like the rest of these girls!_

Elyon turned her head to gaze upon the continually swimming young man, and smiled softly to herself in confidence. He _was_ pretty cute, though, _and_ certainly talented, after all. And even though she had a lot of work cut out for her in terms of whittling down the competition, her mind was now made up.

If it meant providing a bit of extra happiness within the occasionally sad appearing girl's life, then she was going to help Will somehow earn the attention of Wiley no matter _what_ . . . even if it would _also_ mean defying the future, strong marital wishes of both Courtney and Bess in the process.

_They'll forgive me . . ._ _eventually_ , Elyon mused with a faint smile, looking about the continually cheering crowd surrounding her in attempts to locate the two girls in question, but was unable to find them. She then resumed her walk over to the still unsuspecting Will, and grinned widely at her before speaking once more.

" _There_ you are, Will! You weren't at school today! Or, well, you weren't at _lunch_ , anyway," the dishwater blonde said brightly, feeling all the more pleased to have found the now immensely surprised redhead, who had nearly jumped right out of her skin at the unexpected sight of the blue eyed girl.

" _E-Elyon!_ I-I, uh. . . .! Um . . . what are _you_ doing here?" Will tried her best to calm herself, knowing full well that both her current, anxiety riddled voice and flushed cheeks easily betrayed her, nonetheless. She then slowly placed her hands into the pockets of her black hued shorts, before taking them back out and then replacing them once more.

Elyon merely softened her smile at the display.

"Honestly? Coming here hadn't been part of the original game plan. That is, I was . . . well, kind of _worried_ when you didn't show, so I went out looking for you after school," she began, moving to stand at Will's side, and leaned against the closed bleachers. "But, since I didn't know where you lived, I decided to sort of retrace my steps by heading downtown, seeing as that's where you'd decided to shop yesterday, and all. Wouldn't you know it, though, that I'd _totally_ gotten off at the wrong bus stop, like an _idiot?_ Yeah! I was _going_ to wait for the next bus when I'd then realized where I was - Lita Way, that is, which is where two of my friends have been coming lately, in order to watch . . . well, _him_. . . ."

Elyon trailed off for a moment, allowing her slightly longwinded explanation to properly sink into the bob haired girl's head. She offered a brief pointing of her right index finger towards Wiley in the distance, who was currently resting against one of the bright yellow lane dividers situated within the vast swimming pool.

Will followed the other girl's gaze at this and slowly nodded, curiously wincing momentarily before promptly returning her attention back onto Elyon.

"I . . . see. . . . But, wait . . . you were _looking_ for me? And . . . were _worried?"_ she asked in surprise, slowly raising her crimson colored eyebrows in affect. The thoughts which had been previously rushing through her mind prior to the shorter girl's unexpected appearance, were effortlessly washed away by new ones pertaining to the rough night she had had the previous evening.

_No . . . don't start with_ _that_ _again, Will._ _Remember_ _? You're simply meant to be_ _alone_ _within your life; don't start getting all hopeful and happy again,_ _just_ _because this girl seems to have taken an interest within you and your wellbeing_ , the redhead silently scolded herself, lightly shaking her head subconsciously, as though for added emphasis.

Elyon did not seem to have noticed this, _or_ the other girl's renewed expression of discomfort, as she had then instead grinned broadly and nodded.

"Uh huh! W-Well, you know . . . I was looking forward to maybe having lunch again with you today, and all," she replied sheepishly, suddenly feeling greatly embarrassed to have been put on the spot in that way. "I mean, at least if one of my _other_ friends don't show up for school, I can just call or e-mail them later on, or go to their _house_ , even, so I won't have to be continually concerned anymore. But . . . _you_ know. I don't have or know _any_ of that for _you_ \- W-Which is all right, of course! But, yeah . . . I was just saying. . . ."

Elyon breathed a sigh of relief upon having caught herself and recalled Will's apparent tendency to remain aloof, both by default and within seemingly constant spite of her other, more so redeemable qualities she'd also appeared to possess. The _last_ thing she wanted to do was to rile the other girl up for _any_ sort of reason, after all.

_Especially_ not when a potential love operation of sorts was at stake.

However, beyond a momentary pensive expression, which had then flashed across Will's smooth countenance, she had merely given the concerned Elyon a light smile, before turning her entire body to address her more properly.

"Ah . . . yeah, well . . . I guess I can see how that'd make things difficult in terms of trying to find me," she began with a light air and clearing her throat for a moment, before choosing to move on from the current subject. She'd also then begun to momentarily debate upon whether or not to make the blonde aware of the baked goods she had made especially for her the previous evening . . . however, promptly decided against it, as the thought admittedly now made her feel rather awkward. "I'm fine, by the way. I just . . . wasn't really feeling all that well for the majority of the morning, so I ended up not going into school, as you already know. . . . But, then, I'd started to feel a bit better by the afternoon, and wanted to get some fresh air, so . . . I've admittedly just been wandering around downtown since. At least _now_ , though, I'm sort of better acquainted with the area, right? I'd ended up stumbling onto _this_ place not too long ago, actually."

Nodding slowly in growing understanding, briefly saddened to learn that her suspicions of her new friend having been ill to be correct, however relieved to also know that she was apparently already on the mend, Elyon paused a moment before responding.

". . . . Hmm, well that _definitely_ sucks that you weren't feeling too well today, Will. But, at least you're better now, right? Definitely well enough to come and give ' _Goo-Goo Eyes'_ at _Wiley_ over there, eh?" she playfully remarked with another grin, taking a chance at jesting with the sometimes guarded girl.

Will's honey brown eyes immediately widened at this, cheeks growing dark in abashment. It had taken her several moments before she could actively reply to the pigtailed girl's claim; however, when she had, she'd also begun to unexpectedly _laugh_ , and rather boisterously, at that.

" _M-M-Me?_ ' _Goo-Goo E-Eyes?_ ' You've gotta be _joking_ , Elyon!" the chuckling girl commented in between her ongoing tittering, which began to cause Elyon to slowly pout as a result.

"Well . . . _yes!_ When I was heading over to you just now, I _saw_ the look on your face - In your _eyes!_ They had such _sadness_ to them, as though you were _pining away_ for him! And with all of these _other_ love-crazy girls here, could you _blame_ me to think the same of _you?"_ Elyon countered with a faint frown, placing both of her hands upon her hips, as Will's laughter almost promptly quieted down upon having listened to her. "And _anyway_ , I'm sadly an _expert_ when it comes to unrequited love - I know _all_ about the looks, _trust_ me. . . ."

Will felt her heart lurch at the other teenager's words, feeling a mixture of sympathy on the girl's behalf, as well as the return of emotions she had been harboring prior to Elyon's arrival, for something . . . _else_.

Suddenly feeling quite hot, and _immensely_ uncomfortable, Will shook her fiery red head roughly, before beginning to curiously back away from a now befuddled Elyon, who had taken notice.

". . . . No. I _didn't_ come here for that guy . . . I don't even _know_ him, anyway. I guess _these_ people do, though, judging by their ongoing, crazy reactions where he's concerned," she began, a bit detachedly and barely loud enough for Elyon to hear. She then lowered her gaze from the blonde as she continued to back away, before forcing a shrug. "I just . . . thought that I'd take a look around this place, since it isn't so far away from my home, and has a lot of pretty good athletic utilities. After all, don't I just seem the type to be into those sorts of things, being a rough tomboy, and all?"

Elyon suddenly found herself unexpectedly mute during those rather awkward seconds, unsure of how to respond. Once again, she had managed to upset her new acquaintance, without even _trying_ , honestly, and felt absolutely horrible for it.

Before she could have recovered from her mental block, however, Will had spoken once more.

". . . . _A-Anyway_ , it's getting pretty late now, and I've been here long enough as it is. So, I guess I'll just catch you around then, Elyon," she said with the same emotionlessness as before, however a bit hurriedly this time, before promptly turning on her heel and vacating the premises.

"W-Will? _Will!_ " Elyon called after the redhead in pleading, before her words were effortlessly swallowed up by the renewed round of celebration surrounding her. Distracted, she looked back over towards the swimming pool and saw that it was now empty, with a smirking, water glistening Wiley now standing beside it with a white colored towel draped lazily around his strong neck.

Rolling her eyes within faint disgust, especially upon having then witnessed several females rushing up to him with either cameras or notepads and pens within their hands for a blatant autograph, Elyon then returned her attention back onto where she had last seen the now curiously distressed Will, and sighed.

She did not bother to chase after the girl, as she was fairly certain that even if she _had_ managed to catch up to her, she would have been no more receptive to Elyon's presence than she had been just moments before.

"Oh, Will. . . ." she murmured in sadness and helplessness, exhaling softly, before slowly leaving the swimming pool area and building altogether, herself, while her heart went out to the veiled and dispiriting redhead. . . .

 

* * *

After having spent the remainder of that same afternoon, and some of that early evening, aimlessly wandering around the city in order to gather her increasingly unsteady thoughts, Will had at last begun to head back to the junior suite which was her home, feeling hungry in _addition_ to exhausted . . . both emotionally, as well as physically.

 

She had felt bad for having walked out on Elyon, who, in truth, had honestly done nothing wrong. It seemed to be _all_ Will would do whenever around the cheerful girl.

Walk out on her.

_Which is pretty ironic, considering the life I've led up to now_ , the redhead thought morosely, tiredly making her way through the already empty park, City Hall Park, which was across the street from the Garrick Plaza Hotel, where she disappointingly lived. _What a day_ _this_ _has turned out to be. . . ._

Why _was_ it that, at any time Elyon was around her, Will would almost immediately become unraveled? _Whatever_ the reason, she now determined, more than _ever_ , to keep her distance from the petite blonde from now on. . . .

"At least there's no way that today could possibly get any _worse_ , now that I'm back . . . ' _home_ ,'" she muttered to herself with a rough sigh of fatigue, kicking at a stray pebble upon the ground before her with one of her new pair of sneakers.

". . . . I was _hoping_ to find you," Will suddenly heard an unknown, strong, and male sounding voice speak from behind, causing her heart to jump in alarm. Turning around abruptly, her soft brown eyes rested upon the vaguely familiar sight of the talented swimmer apparently known as Wiley, who was now dry, fully clothed and smiling softly at her.

She tried her best to ignore her mind, which had then immediately begun to replay the conversation she had shared with Elyon, in regards to her assumption of Will having romantic feelings for the young man. And even though it really _had_ been far from the truth, she nonetheless couldn't help but to softly blush at his rather unexpected presence.

Of all of the girls who had been swarming around him within that recreational center earlier on that day, Wiley had instead chosen to seek _her_ out? But . . . _how_ , and _why?_

". . . . You _were?_ Why is that?" Will asked calmly, although not without a faint detection of confusion laced within her voice, while her insides admittedly continued to curiously become rattled with nerves. She promptly sucked in her breath the moment the muscular, honestly handsome boy had taken a step toward her, the smile upon his mocha hued face never once fading.

"Because you were the only one who didn't stick around after my practice had ended this afternoon," Wiley revealed gently, continuing his slow, but even pace toward the slender redhead. "Both you, _and_ that little blonde friend of yours I saw you talking to. . . . So, I came to pick you up first, before going to retrieve _her_ , as well. . . . Now, come with me. . . ."

At first feeling rather flustered with unexpected shyness, and even a bit of fleeting excitement by the sudden presence of the tall, raven haired young man, Will abruptly began to experience an overwhelming jolt of unease.

Something just did _not_ feel right about this situation, even _without_ Wiley's peculiar reply. . . .

_And what_ _about_ _that? 'Little blonde friend?' Is he talking about . . ._ _Elyon_ _?_ she thought within furthered perplexity and alarm, before promptly beginning to frown darkly at the still grinning Wiley, a fact which was rather eerie in and of itself, as well.

"W-What are you _talking_ about? What do you _want_ with Elyon? What do you want with _me_ , for that matter?" Will barked, glaring intensely at the now unsettling male before her, and taking a blind step backward.

Instead of becoming worried or, at the very least, put off (as Will had been hoping for) by the girl's newfound aggressiveness toward him, Wiley merely strengthened his simper, before slowly shaking his dark colored head.

". . . . Patience. _You'll_ see . . . right _now_ , in fact," he replied, his voice suddenly sounding much deeper and admittedly daunting.

Before Will could have even reacted, Wiley suddenly snapped his fingers and caused an immensely black aura to mysteriously appear and engulf the two of them. Crying out in terror, Will could feel her body going limp, as everything around her had become just as dark as the opaque glow which had inexplicably surrounded her.

However, as soon as the horrifying incident had started, it had then ended, and the feeling within her body had returned, with regrettably poor timing, as she'd then felt herself collapse onto a cold and hardened surface.

" _O-Ow_. . . .!" Will groaned into what she assumed to be the floor, before blindly beginning to lift herself up. Everything around her still remained bathed within shadow, and the sudden, disembodied cackling from whom she assumed to be Wiley did little to console her mounting distress.

" _Stupid_ women. . . ." he chuckled deeply within the darkness, his voice still retaining its unsettling, and almost unnatural deepness. The sound of another snap of his fingers was then heard from behind Will, causing her to whirl around immediately, in the same instant that the newfound area the two were in abruptly exploded with unexpected light.

Several lit candles were sporadically placed about the room . . . if it could have even been referred to as such, as the area was compromised of nothing _else_. That is, nothing else, except a sea of young women, who all stood at random positions about the room, and all appearing to be as though half sedated. . . .

Will sharply gasped at the sight from her place within what she assumed to be the center of the eerie 'room,' as each female surrounded her from all sides.

"W-What _is_ this place? What's going _on?"_ she called out with dread, turning around every which way within her spot, and gazed upon each woman and girl standing all around her. They each remained, unmoving, undaunted and apparently entranced by some unknown force, seemingly unaware of the redhead's newfound visit.

"Stupid, _stupid_ women . . . coming day in and day out to see me practice," Wiley spoke once more, inexplicably somehow directly behind Will, as he unsettlingly spoke against her left ear. He let out another soft chuckle upon gazing towards the immensely startled expression of the only female within the room who was evidently cognizant. "And, for _what?_ _All_ so that they could fulfill the desires of their _silly_ little crushes on me. . . . Well, now, their crushes will fulfill the desires of my _master_ , with all of that _wasted_ energy!"

Will frowned deeply at this, gradually beginning to feel far more _furious_ , now, rather than the initial terror she had been experiencing since the start of this intensely bizarre debacle. Although she still could not, for the life of her, comprehend one moment of it, she _did_ , however, find herself starting to feel unexpectedly sympathetic towards the stupefied females surrounding her.

". . . . All these girls . . . they all have feelings for you, and you couldn't care _less!_ " she hissed in disgust, taking a step back from Wiley, who now appeared to be intrigued by her words. "All of them were there at the rec center today to _support_ you, and to show you that they _care_ for you, and you're just throwing it back in each of their _faces!"_

The more she spoke, the more fired up Will got, silently realizing the slight correlation the young women's plight held to one of her own within the past. . . . However, none of that honestly mattered to her in that moment, as she was curiously determined to help every last one of them somehow, as _well_ as to teach the rather pompous male before her a _lesson_.

His smile only faltering momentarily, Wiley then began to chuckle once more, shaking his head within furthered dismissal.

"Oh, _really?_ And what about _you?_ _You_ were there, as well! It had been the first I had seen of you - _And_ that blonde - but you were there, nonetheless! _Clearly_ , you feel the same for me as _they_ do," he mockingly teased, before beginning to slowly advance upon the tall redhead.

Will promptly shook her bob-styled head, balling up the both of her fists in anger and clenched them tightly.

" _Hardly!_ And anyway, even if I _did_ , I don't _care_ about myself! These girls aren't just _play_ things for you to mess around with! They're real _people_ , with _real_ feelings - Feelings that _matter_ , and you had _no_ right to _screw_ with!" she exclaimed, the rage inside of her growing and growing the more she spoke, saying things that perhaps she should have said long ago, but now was far too late to do so. . . .

Ever the smirking individual, Wiley slowly draped his strong arms behind his back, before lightly cocking his ebony colored head to the side.

". . . . Ah . . . how interesting," his deepened voice responded with intrigue, briefly tapping his left foot upon the cold floor a moment, before taking yet another step forward. "No matter, though. . . . My master is awaiting the deliverance of these ladies' precious energy, you see! And although I will not have the same amount of time to work my spell upon _you,_ for as long as I have on _them_ , I believe you will still be able to serve your purpose for Him all the same!"

Without another word, Wiley facial expression of seemingly eternal calm had abruptly shifted into one of pure malice, as he swiftly lunged towards the now taken aback Will. Startling as it had been, however, she was ready for him, and quickly side stepped the young male, before hurriedly delivering a rather hard knee to his abdomen.

" _Argh!"_ Wiley groaned heavily within immediate pain, cradling his stomach before falling onto the ground, as Will whirled around to watch. The moment that he had, a sharp surge of white light filtered into the room, effortlessly blinding the redhead and causing her to shield her brown eyes within protection.

Waiting for a few moments, Will then slowly lowered her hands away from her face, and gasped in surprise at what she saw. She was once again back within City Hall Park, along with her previously fellow female captives, who were all huddled together upon the grassy earth at her side, unconscious.

". . . . H-How _dare_ you?" Will could hear Wiley bellow from behind, spinning around in time to witness his snarling countenance and hunched over demeanor. The bravery she had been feeling just moments before regrettably became lost to her then, as she slowly began to back away from the blatantly dangerous man in mounting trepidation. "I will _not_ . . . let you _go!"_

With a bone chilling, near deafening and honestly inhuman sort of roar, Will watched in paralyzing terror as Wiley's entire body began to . . . _melt?_ At least, that was what it appeared to be doing, as it inexplicably began to shape shift into something which was blatantly no longer human. . . .

Wiley's skin, once caramel in tone, suddenly took on a black and white hue, with his entire right side being white and his left completely black. His clothing became shredded until there was nothing left, as the muscles upon his body visibly grew larger in size.

Pointed, almost dog, or wolf-like ears had then taken the place of his previously human ones, in the same instant that his entire eye and pupil area had turned disturbingly opaque. Perhaps the most terrifying sight for Will to currently behold was the _rest_ of Wiley's face. While the left side had remained the same, just as handsome as before, the _right_ side had become horrifyingly _fleshy_ , with sharp fangs glinting out towards her.

It was one of, if not the _most_ truly nightmarish scenes she had ever witnessed. . . .

" _Ahhh!"_ Will screeched in terror, blindly rushing backward before falling onto the ground. She watched with widening eyes as the formerly human Wiley began to make his way toward her, at the same moment that the rest of his intended prey began to stir awake.

"Oh, my _God!_ What _is_ that?" screamed a young, freckle faced girl with short, cherry colored hair like Will's, before clinging onto another female immediately next to her, who, sans facial markings, appeared identical to her. Not waiting for any sort of proper response, the girl (in addition to every _other_ formerly slumbering female lying upon the surrounding ground), promptly scrambled to her feet and took off within ample fright.

None of them had even seemed to take notice of Will, who still lay upon the ground, too riddled with fear to move again. They had merely left her alone.

_. . . . Just like my_ _family_ _. . . and my_ _friends_ , she reflected within solemn silence, slowly turning her attention back onto the nearing, menacingly transformed Wiley. _In the end . . . I'm_ _always_ _alone. . . . Even now, when I'm about to die. . . ._

Closing her eyes within saddened acceptance of her fate, Will merely awaited to feel the unbearable, agonizing pain of her predator tearing into her flesh and promptly claim her life . . . however nothing happened. Having expected to listen to herself scream within oncoming affliction, Will instead unexpectedly heard sharp wailing emitting before her, from whom she believed to be Wiley.

Immediately reopening her brown eyes, the redhead gasped within renewed alarm, as she then took in the sight of a partially enflamed Wiley . . . and, the unconscious body of _Wiley?_ Lying upon the ground on his side, and a mere foot away from the slightly engulfed creature whom Will had originally believed him to be, was evidently the _real_ and perfectly _human_ swimmer. . . .

". . . . _W-What_ the -?" she softly stuttered to herself with perplexity, watching within a partial daze as the makeshift, canine-eared monster frantically batted at its body in order to extinguish the fierce flames which had temporarily and inexplicably consumed part of it.

"Nice _shot_ , Sailormars! That hit apparently had been strong enough to jolt the Entity straight from Wiley's body! If you hadn't been quick enough, Will would have been _done_ for!" Will breathlessly listened to an unknown, although curiously familiar sounding female praise from behind to her apparent comrade, as their dual footsteps hurriedly approached the scene.

"Thanks, Sailormeridian! And it seems as though your mild suspicions about him, _and_ that recreational center had been correct! It's a good thing that we were able to get here in time," the one apparently referred to as Sailormars, who'd also sounded quite female, replied in confidence.

' _Sailormars?' 'Sailormeridian?' Those names almost sound like that 'Sailor V' character Elyon had been talking about yesterday_ , the redhead thought in passing, before beginning to feel all the _more_ befuddled, this time over the fact that the premiere female somehow knew her name. . . .

Turning her crimson colored head, Will instantly blinked furiously at the rather peculiar sight of the two individuals rushing toward her, one blonde, while the other was ebony haired. The pair were dressed within the most _oddest_ sort of clothing she had ever seen before, which admittedly made her want to laugh at their appearance, despite the intense situation she was still within.

Although both were adorned within fitted leotards and multicolored tiered skirts, elbow length gloves and knee-high boots, and sailor-like collars and bows decked out to the nines, they were different in color, either a soft blue or pale red, respectfully. Will was beginning to wonder what sort of city she had unfortunately chosen to now live within, when the blue-schemed blonde interrupted her thoughts, as she then spoke.

" _Will!_ Are you all right?" she asked as she was the first to reach the tall redhead, with profoundly worried, blue eyes peering down at her. They curiously shined with the same sort of kindness and light as . . . as. . . .

". . . . _Elyon?_ Is that . . . _you?_ " Will hesitantly inquired with a small gasp, as she allowed the girl she now believed to be Elyon, and the other she could not yet readily recognize, to carefully help her from off of the ground. She watched as the raven haired girl smiled gently back at her, before doing the same to her now blushing comrade.

". . . . What was it that you'd said again, Csilla? That only fellow Guardian Soldiers could be able to recognize one another within these forms - Just like I'd eventually done for Miss Brown, as well - prior to transforming, themselves, correct?" she queried softly, before looking down towards the ground at the fluffy, slate gray colored feline which had just then approached the trio of females. "I suppose, then, that the _both_ of our feelings and assumptions of Miss Vandom being a Guardian, as well was right on, after all."

" _Indeed_ , Sailormars!" the furry, admittedly familiar cat suddenly spoke within reply, causing Will to jump back in alarm.

" _W-Whoa!_ What was that? D-Did it just _talk?"_ she cried out in affect, taking another step backward and away from the green eyed animal. "I-I _don't_ understand _any_ of this! _Monsters_ , _weirdly_ dressed girls, and _talking cats!_ It _is_ you, isn't Elyon? 'Csilla' was the name of the cat that was with you and your friend yesterday, when you'd said it was yours! A-And, _you!_ You just called her 'Miss Brown,' and _me_ 'Miss Vandom!' S-So . . . _you_ must be Elyon's friend, _Taranee!_ "

The girl Will was now absolutely _certain_ to be Elyon nodded meekly within confirmation, before slowly taking a step toward her.

". . . . Y-Yes, Will . . . it's us. And yes, this _is_ the same cat you'd met yesterday, too," she began tentatively, raising her white gloved hands into the air to further signify to the blatantly frazzled girl that she meant no harm. "But, there's no time to explain everything right now, all right? Just, please . . . _trust_ me. . . ."

Hesitating a moment, Will slowly nodded in compliance, despite the fact that her heart was continually racing, especially upon hearing the word "trust," an act she no longer found easy to do. . . .

"Good! Now, I want you t -" the miraculously speaking feline began, before an unexpected beam of black light suddenly careened through the night air from behind Will, and hit the dark haired girl newly realized to be Taranee squarely within her right shoulder, causing her to fall to the ground.

" _Sailormars!_ " Elyon exclaimed in alarm, whirling around within her place to return to her now injured comrade, when she, too, was abruptly struck, within the back, by the same sort of darkened beam.

Both Will, and a now mute Csilla watched in horror as the petite girl toppled over, who'd begun to winced in immediate pain. Evidently, both attacks had been powerful enough to burn straight the girls' bodysuits, causing unsightly and torn scorch marks within each hit area.

The sudden, sharp sounds of renewed screaming had apparently been just loud enough to promptly stir the formerly unconscious and mildly overlooked Wiley awake in that moment, before beginning to screech in terror at the befuddling display before him, himself.

"W-What _is_ this? _A-Ahh!"_ he wailed within petrification and light brown eyes wide open, before immediately scrambling to his feet and began his hurried escape from the danger zone of a park.

Fur now standing completely on end, Csilla moaned loudly within intermingling anger and trepidation, as both she and Will, the only ones still remaining upright, returned their dual attention back onto the momentarily forgotten creature within the distance.

Will watched with fleeting fear, and mounting disgust and returned ire, as the beast, now completely extinguished of its mysterious flames, stiffly wagged a finger into the air toward her, before snarling with unbridled rage of its own.

_That's it, I've_ _had_ _it! I'm_ _tired_ _of being afraid, and tired of this . . ._ _thing_ _!_ she thought with accumulating courage, at the same time that her insides, as well as her _forehead_ , even, curiously began to grow warm and tingly. _I don't honestly know how I can somehow . . . protect anyone from it, but I'm going to_ _try_ _! No one else is going to hurt because of me. . . .!_

"You said you wanted me, right? That you 'wouldn't let me go?' Well, here I am!" Will screamed with continued resolution, the bravery within her practically beginning to overflow, at the same time that the strange sensations going on within her intensified. "Come _get_ me!"

". . . . W-Will, no, _don't!_ You don't -" Elyon weakly cried out from behind her, in the same moment that the black and white patterned creature swiftly closed the distance between all of them and pounced towards the redhead . . . and a brilliant hue of soft green colored light exploded into the immediate area.

Both Sailors Meridian and Mars, and even Csilla, watched within utter amazement, as the ferocious being they confidently knew to be yet another deployed Entity was effortlessly ricocheted off of Will's now brightly glowing body, and catapulted blindly backwards several feet away.

". . . . Wow . . . she's . . . she's awakening," Sailormars murmured breathlessly, as she slowly rose to her feet, before Sailormeridian had done the same next to her. Both girls then gingerly moved around the still illuminated Will, standing on either side of the softly smiling Csilla, who had moved to stand directly before the girl.

"That she is, Sailormars," the feline remarked with pride, taking in the sight and gazing upon the curious looking and green colored sigil which had appeared upon the redhead's forehead in that moment.

Pausing, Csilla closed her emerald tinted eyes, much in the way that Will's own now were, and began to concentrate. After only a minute or so had passed, a tiny and olive hued orb of light had then manifested itself from out of the mystical cat's seven-pointed shaped scar upon her forehead, within the same manner the others of red and periwinkle had done so for both Taranee and Elyon, respectfully, several weeks before.

In that same instant, the jade fueled aura encasing Will began to die down, and the glowing symbol, which resembled a slightly curved number four upon her forehead began to fade away. Slowly opening her honey brown, lightly glazed over eyes within an apparent daze, she reached out to seize the floating green orb, which had risen higher within the air to greet her.

". . . . That was the planetary symbol of _Jupiter_ ," Sailormars whispered knowingly, in reference to the now disappeared sigil, in the same moment that a silver band ring, which looked identical to the one that she, herself, now wore regularly and helped her to transform into her Guardian form, had suddenly appeared upon the ring finger of her redhead's right hand.

The only difference, however, between _her_ ring, and the one that Sailormars possessed, was that Will's held an emerald jewel upon it rather than a crimson one, and instead possessed the same, dark green symbol which had been upon the middle of Will's forehead and now currently shined brilliantly within the ring's center.

_Jupiter's_ symbol. . . .

Before anyone else could have said another word, Will slowly took a confident step forward, frowning lightly towards the further injured Entity in the distance, before suddenly shouting, " _Jupiter Power, Make Up!"_

Without warning, a large bolt of lightning inexplicably rocketed from the darkened skies just then, causing Sailors Meridian and Mars, in addition to Csilla, to immediately dive out of the way, as it effortlessly struck Will's now lightly hovering and naked body.

The harshness and speed of the impact seemed to have done nothing to harm her, quite miraculously, however, and in fact had merely made the girl stretch out her strong limbs and arch her back slightly, while the lightning continued to surge and crackle all about her unclothed form.

White, elbow length gloves, much like those of Sailormars and Sailormeridian (although instead with forest green colored bands at the top) appeared upon Will's slender arms within a flourish of soft pink carnation petals. And then, in the same manner that Sailormars's right glove held the symbol of the planet Mars upon the back palm, Will's _own_ right glove mimicked the same notion, however instead carried the resilient, emerald colored sigil of Jupiter.

Another wave of pink carnation petals suddenly then passed over the redhead's toned upper body, and in its wake an olive drab, sleeveless body suit then appeared to shelter her previously naked form. Blindly tilting her head back ever so slightly, Will's formerly free and bob styled crimson locks began to twist and turn, as it weaved itself into a brand new hairstyle . . . an _up do_ , consisting of a row of seven miniature buns which, due to the natural coloring of her hair, strongly resembled a series of rose buds. Each were then fastened together with the spring green tinted and laced individual ribbons, which had then magically appeared within a small, bright flash of olive colored light.

Several new surges of lightning, this time lime tinted in contrast, suddenly then careened down Will's otherwise still electrified, partially clothed body, before sharply hitting the ground and beginning to twirl around her within a newfound, circled trio of ball lightning.

From the ground up did the soft green colored, powerful energy slowly begin to travel as it continued its cycling path, causing more pieces of the redhead's attire to appear in the process. A pair of white, knee high boots, the same style as both Sailormeridian and Sailormars, appeared upon Will's previously bare feet within a bright flash of olive light in addition the sharp booming sound of thunder, with the very top band of the boots being shaped like an upside down letter v, and magenta in color.

Next, at the returned sight and sound of olive drab colored light and loud thunder, a two tiered skirt then manifested itself and promptly wrapped itself snugly around Will's slim waist, with the top half reflecting an asparagus sort of shade, while the bottom part shone within renewed magenta.

Within the same manner as its predecessors, another jolt of thunderous, greenish hued light briefly exploded over the tall redhead's chest, creating a beautiful, thin bow the same darkened pink color as the bottom half of her tiered skirt . . . before two, longer and much _thicker_ tea green and coral pink hued ribbons lightly kissed at her backside, before interweaving themselves in order to form a larger bow at the back. The mystical, dark green colored symbol of the planet Jupiter then shined proudly within the center of Will's front, much thinner bow, and briefly sizzled with unbridled and electrified energy.

At last reaching the very top of her body, the encircling trio of olive drab tinged ball lightning flashed brightly one more time before vanishing altogether, leaving behind a forest green colored, sailor-like collar flap above Will's front bow, whipping lightly within the cool night air as it delicately draped itself against her strong back. Within the same instant, a plainly designed choker, the same shade as her newfound sailor collar, suddenly then appeared, as well, delicately fastening itself around her smooth and tawny neck.

Will then let out a soft breath of air from in between her newly lip glossed lips, as soft green sparkles, the remaining aftermath of the recently vanished ball lightning, and currently wafting gently within the air directly in front of her before caressing her bare ears and forehead, suddenly transformed into a pair of white gold, dangling and Tree Frog shaped earrings, with dark emerald jewels within the center.

Finally, the lightning which had continued to careen back and forth throughout and all around Will's body suddenly collected itself before swiftly traveling up to her side bang covered forehead, where it intensified in sheer brightness for a few passing moments, until abruptly dying out to reveal a golden tiara sporting the returned sigil of Jupiter within its center.

Having just then returned to the ground, the newly transformed Will slowly reopened her honey brown orbs, and momentarily locked eyes with the now awe-struck Elyon, and the duly impressed Taranee. Before either female could have spoken a word upon having witnessed such an astounding sight, the newfound Sailorjupiter promptly maneuvered around the both of them, and faced down the struggling to stand creature now before her.

" _Supreme . . . Thunder!"_ she strongly cried out, crisscrossing her gloved arms and balled up fists across her chest, just as the heavenly skies above instantly darkened with newly menacing clouds. Then suddenly, a pillar of white hot lightning catapulted down to the earth and struck her, much like the one before it, prior to her mystical transformation . . . and it, too, did not seem to negatively harm her in any way.

Concentrating, Sailorjupiter allowed the otherwise dangerous electricity to collect and build within her strong, conduit of a body, before violently swinging her arms apart and extended them out towards the admittedly defenseless Entity.

The lightning which had been previously housed within the whole of Sailorjupiter's body had, in that moment, snaked its way up her slender arms, before powerfully spilling forth from out of her glowing, open palms and slamming straight into the creature's chest within a sickening clamor.

" _Yarrrgh!"_ it screeched within understandable suffering and collapsing to its knees, as it began to cook from the inside out, and its death wail echoed throughout the atmosphere. Sailorjupiter watched with abundant satisfaction as the Entity had then fallen forward onto its now completely charred face, before slowly vanishing away into oblivion.

_Wow . . . she has_ _such_ _immense power_ , Sailormeridian thought with reverence, light blue eyes widened to its max at the previous sight. Sailorjupiter, panting heavily with obvious fatigue, gingerly collapsed onto the ground, her entire body now dormant of any electrical charge.

" _Sailorjupiter!_ Are you all right?" Csilla was the first speak, rushing towards the heavily breathing redhead, before both Sailormars and Sailormeridian did the same.

"You were _phenomenal_ , Sailorjupiter," the raven haired Guardian Soldier shyly complimented with a smile, slowly crouching down onto the ground next to Sailorjupiter.

". . . . I am . . . Sailorjupiter?" the green and pink schemed heroine murmured within a partial daze, her breathing already back under control. She peered down at her white gloved, open palms, completely mesmerized by what she had miraculously done mere moments before with their help.

Csilla nodded firmly, softly beginning to purr as her grayish blue fur began to slowly settle down, now that the immediate danger had been at last taken care of.

"You are the Guardian Soldier of Thunder and Courage, and the third member of our team . . . our comrade," she explained delicately, not wishing to startle the young girl once again, due to somehow being able to speak. However, the strong teenager merely gazed upon her with tired, although vaguely comprehending eyes, which prompted the feline to continue. "And _I_ am the one who will help guide _all_ of you through your newfound destinies as the saviors to this planet. . . ."

Sailormeridian grinned happily towards a still hunched over Sailorjupiter, before lightly resting a gloved hand upon her back.

"That's right, Sailorjupiter! Csilla, Sailormars _and_ I, Sailormeridian, are your friends! Isn't it _great?"_ she asked within giddiness, looking towards a silent Sailormars, who merely smiled faintly back up at her, before the two returned their gaze back onto their newest companion.

Suddenly, the tallest female of the trio let out a strangled sob from where she sat, causing both the blonde and ebony haired girl on either side of her to gasp within alarm.

"A-Are you all right?" Sailormars queried awkwardly, hesitantly raising her own hand to place upon the redhead's back, before promptly lowering it back down onto her red schemed skirt. Although she was now honestly concerned for the new girl, her new _comrade_ , the talented genius's natural reservations still remained. Although slowly, but surely making a bit of progress, she was still unable to be as open and forthright as _Sailormeridian_ , even _if_ her guise as Sailormars _did_ always seem to manage to grant her a bit more confidence each time. . . .

". . . . ' _Friends_ . . .' am I really capable of having them again?" Sailorjupiter lightly whispered, more so to herself than to her fellow Guardian Soldiers on either side of her. She was careful to keep her cardinal colored head bowed so as to properly conceal her face, as the tears from her wounded heart freely began to fall.

". . . . O-Of _course!_ Why would you ever think _otherwise?"_ Sailormeridian asked within utter disbelief, her _own_ eyes already beginning to water, as she was forced to helplessly listen to the redhead continue to cry.

". . . . Because I'm no _good_ , that's why," Sailorjupiter despondently replied, squeezing her brown eyes shut, as her heart and mind began to unlock and once again recall the tragic memory she had been thinking upon earlier that afternoon. ". . . . I-It's why my father never _loved_ me, and w-why my mother _a-abandoned_ me!"

". . . . _A-Abandoned_ you? But, Sailormeridian, I thought you'd said that both of Jupiter's parents had _passed away_ , when you'd told me about it last night," Csilla remarked with a sharp gasp of shock, before moving closer to the emotional girl and curled up next to her in comfort.

Sailormeridian shook her pigtailed head at this, her heart jumping for having been put on the spot.

"I-It's _true_ , though! A-At least . . . _wasn't_ it?" she trailed off in confusion, gazing down at the Thunder and Lightning Guardian Soldier through tear-blurred eyes.

Sailorjupiter began to sob more loudly, shaking her own ruby colored head repeatedly before responding.

". . . . I-I didn't want to tell y-you the whole truth about my family yesterday, Elyon, b-because it's something I've had to try to cope with for the last year and a half, now!" she began to explain through her tears, referring to the leader of their growing group by her civilian name. "M-My father had passed away when I was twelve . . . a-and then, a year _later_ , my _m-mother_ had decided that she couldn't deal with trying t-to raise me all by herself anymore, and so she l-left . . . left me alone. . . ."

No one could say a word upon having listened to the outwardly strong girl reveal the heart wrenching truth of her young life. There was honestly not much which _could_ have been said for that, for neither remaining female had ever been privy to such an occurrence before, let _alone_ in regards to someone so young. . . .

Sailorjupiter slowly began to calm down, although the unwanted tears of her pain continued to fall as she continued on.

". . . . I've . . . I've always had to do everything on my own since then . . . always had to _fight_ . . . m-maybe even before the both of my parents had gone," she started with a hollow exhale, reaching up to slowly wipe her tear stained face. ". . . . I think that I had _always_ been aware that my father had never cared for me, even from a very early age. My mother, up until she'd decided to do what was best for _her_ , had been an initially loving and caring woman, so growing up with that man hadn't always been super terrible. . . .

Still . . . even though I knew that it had been pointless to try, I had always done all that I could to win his affection somehow . . . to _fight_ for his approval . . . but nothing had ever worked. He was a man _entirely_ driven by the 'Survival of the Fittest' mentality, you see, and absolutely _hated_ weakness and losers. . . . Little to nothing pleased him, either, I can remember, except his business, his _money_ , and sports - _Swimming_ to be exact. . . .

And so, of course, once I had learned that my school at the time was holding swim team tryouts one year, when I finally felt confident enough to participate, I had been one of the first kids to sign up. I mean, after all, this was _finally_ my chance to show my father what I was made of . . . that I _wasn't_ just some loser kid he couldn't be proud of, let alone _love_. . . .

I'd been practicing my swimming nearly every day a year prior to by then, soon after I had learned that it was one of my father's favorite sports, and knew that I'd be a _shoe-in_ for the team, because . . . well, not to sound too cocky, but I was ' _better_ than the best,' as some of my fellow townspeople used to say about me. . . .

And I _was_ , too, just about . . . I'd won first place within the majority of each division I'd competed in. But, even after _all_ of that, my father had _still_ never once shown up to any of my meets . . . until the time came for the big Regional Finals of that same year, which . . . was in open water. . . .

It had been the talk of the town, and _the_ championship to witness, since 'Will Vandom the Shark,' as I'd been nicknamed, was going to be competing. . . . _Somehow_ , my mother had managed to convince my father to come with her to see me compete . . . although, when I think about it now, it had probably been more so one of his _business colleague's_ doing, whom I'd later found out had started a pool run and had bet to see which swimmer would win what division. . . . He _probably_ just didn't want to miss out on the chance to make a little _more_ money on the side, _and_ at his own daughter's expense. . . .

Even though I was feeling incredibly nervous to finally have him there, I was also extremely _excited_. This was my moment; my _one_ opportunity to shine and show him what I could do . . . and then maybe, _hopefully_ he'd finally give me his love. . . ."

Sailorjupiter paused for a few moments after this, inhaling deeply and lightly frowning, as she struggled to cease her tears. Her tawny hued face then became flush with absolute shame by her heartfelt words, before she'd then forced herself to complete the remainder of her tale.

". . . . Although I had been pretty confident - Maybe _too_ confident - that I was going to win the overall championship for my team _and_ my school, there had been one thing that had admittedly worried me . . . and her name was Ophelia Tornincasa. . . ." she spoke with a small shiver, whether due to the cooling, surrounding atmosphere of the evening, or due to something far less innocent, the remaining Guardian Soldiers were not entirely sure. "I guess you could say that she had been my counterpart when it came to swimming, because she, _too_ , was 'the best of the best' at her _own_ school. . . .

She and I had competed against one another earlier on that year, and she would win a few divisions over me, and I would do the same to her in return. But _this_ was it; the _big_ one. _Neither_ of us wanted to lose this one, even _if_ the two of us had always managed to maintain good sportsmanship with one another . . . but I knew, I just _knew_ that I simply wanted it more than _she_ did, for obvious reasons. . . .

So, when it came time for the final event, the 'women's five kilometer swim,' I was raring to go . . . even though _short_ distances had always been my stronger suit, and I _had_ only been able to practice majority of the time within a _swimming pool,_ versus the ocean the actual race had been held within. . . .

There had been _so_ many signs, when I think about it even more now, that I _never_ should have competed in that race . . . not when the majority of my swimming career and style had been built upon speed and shorter distances, _and_ I'd begun to have a bad feeling about the whole thing. . . . But I'd chosen to compete within that race, even after a few of my teammates and even my coach, initially, had been hesitant about it, all for my _father_ , of course. Because, I'd felt as though he had been _counting_ on me, now more than _ever_ , to succeed. . . .

So . . . once the race had started, that was all I'd held within my mind, over and _over_ : ' _Win_ no matter what! _Win_ no matter what!' And I _had_ been too, at the start, taking a fairly good lead early on, even ahead of Ophelia, who was right behind me in second place. . . .

But, by the time I'd reached the turn buoy to head back to shore in the second half of the race, I was already completely winded, and my left calf had begun to cramp up . . . I hadn't paced myself properly. Ophelia, of course, had caught up to me, along with the _rest_ of the swimmers, and all were already turning back . . . but by then, I was too panicked to think straight any longer, _and_ the weather had slowly taken a turn for the worse, causing the waters to become just a little bit choppy. . . .

She . . . she was the closest thing to grab onto to stay afloat . . . so I-I _did_. . . . She _never_ even saw it coming . . . and _because_ she hadn't, she'd become just as panicked as _I_ had been, kicking and punching at me to break free, while I began to do the same to _her_ on instinct. . . .

Un . . . Unfortunately . . . one of my final hits against Ophelia had accidentally been to her throat, which immediately knocked the air out of her, and caused her to inhale a great deal of water, as a result. . . . The . . . the last thing I can remember is . . . is the two of us going underneath the water after she'd managed to kick me away, before cradling her bruised throat . . . a-and her drifting away from me and sinking _a lot_ faster than I had been. . . ."

Sailormeridian swallowed hard upon hearing this, her stomach lurching as she feared the answer to the question she was about to ask within the following moment.

". . . . W-What . . . what happened to her?" the petite teenager just barely managed to query, resuming her efforts to physically console the emotional redhead, by softly rubbing at her olive drab colored back.

Sailorjupiter, fists now tightly clenched and light brown eyes screwed shut, moaned out in misery as she replied, ". . . . I'd woken up in the hospital a day later, after having spent nearly six and a half hours in a coma. . . . T-The . . . the doctors told me that I had been really lucky, as I had inhaled a fair amount of water before the lifeguards had caught up to me and pulled me back up to the surface. . . .

B-But, when I'd asked about _Ophelia_ , and if _she_ was okay, they . . . she . . . she'd taken too much water into her _own_ lungs by comparison . . . and the current, even though it'd had had us _both_ , had taken _her_ a bit further out than me, as well. . . .

. . . . The other swim coaches and mine had never blamed me for what happened . . . they'd said that the procedures and regulations _had_ been fairly lax within the open water swimming circuit for a _while_ in that town, and this had been the tragic, real eye opener to finally make some changes. . . .

_No one_ seemed to blame me for what had happened, at first . . . no one more than _me_ , anyway. . . . My teammates and even some of my friends had begun to treat me differently after that, though . . . _including_ some of the people in town who'd heard about the accident, as well. . . . It wasn't until later on that same year that I'd begun to hear rumors about how I had possibly _planned_ and _staged_ the whole incident . . . had _f-faked_ having had the cramp within my calf, so that I'd have a proper alibi when . . . w-when I'd ' _eliminated_ my biggest competition,' as one of my schoolmates had phrased it. . . .

I didn't know _what_ to think, what to believe _or_ feel anymore after that . . . and I no longer had any of my friends to turn to by that time, as _they'd_ all alienated themselves from me. . . . I quit swimming altogether because of it, and haven't been inside of any pools _or_ oceans since. . . .

And I _definitely_ didn't want to go to school anymore, and could barely eat or sleep, either. . . . My m-mother had done all that she could to properly console me, of course, and in time it slightly began to help, but . . . my _father_ . . . he hadn't even gone to visit me while I was in the hospital, so I knew better than to go to _him_. . . . After all, there was suddenly controversy going on within his own home, with his own _daughter_ swiftly becoming the town's social pariah, which, of _course_ , didn't look too well for his _business_. . . .

I was well aware that, by then, I had _permanently_ blown all chances of _ever_ winning his approval . . . but, by that time, it had been too late, _regardless_ . . . b-because he had died of an aneurysm while at work that early summer. . . ."

The evening atmosphere surrounding the four beings present was so overwhelmingly wrought with despair by that point, with not a dry eye, nor unaffected heart within the bunch. It now finally made perfect sense to Sailormeridian, in particular, as to why the red haired Guardian Solider was the way that she was . . . why she had been so well guarded . . . so _distant_.

_With the tragic sort of life like the one she's lived up to now, it's no_ _wonder_ , the blue eyed girl thought morosely, simultaneously reaching up to clear her fair visage of tears, alongside a visibly distraught Sailormars next to her. _All of this must_ _also_ _be the reason why everyone at school is so afraid of her, too . . . they must have somehow heard about what had happened to Ophelia, and Will's involvement in it. . . ._

". . . . O-Oh, _Will_ . . . Will, I-I'm _so_ \- _We're_ so, so _sorry_ for all of the pain you've gone through in the past," the pigtailed girl tried her absolute best to console the emotionally raw Sailorjupiter, who finally began to slowly rise to her feet. "B-But, you _can't_ blame yourself for Ophelia's death! You just _can't!"_

Sailormars nodded firmly in agreement at this, straightening her own posture and gazing pleadingly at the still frowning Sailorjupiter next to her.

"Yes, Sailormeridian is right, Jupiter! It was an _accident!_ A tragic, _horrible_ accident you had absolutely _no_ control over, _or_ could have possibly ever seen coming!" she remarked with a gasp, clasping both of her gloved hands together.

Unfortunately for the ebony haired beauty, her words had seemed to strike a greater chord within Sailorjupiter than those of Sailormeridian, for she'd abruptly then turned to face her, the _both_ of them, for the first time since the very beginning of her heartfelt revelation.

" _Wasn't_ it? I _had_ known, deep down inside, that I wasn't _ready_ for that kind of a race!" she spat vehemently, honey brown eyes livid and alight with blatant self-loathing. "But I did it, anyway! And for _what?_ To impress a _soulless_ man who couldn't even be bothered enough to visit his _hospitalized daughter_ , and _all_ at the expense of an innocent girl's _life!_ You try and tell me _again_ how it wasn't my fault!"

Both Sailors Meridian and Mars lightly winced at the dual sound and sight of the tallest girl's rage, unsure of how to respond. Csilla, who had been silent throughout the remainder of her newest charge's heartbreaking account, promptly then took it upon herself to act as mediator, before things could perhaps grow even further out of hand.

". . . . _P-Please_ , Sailorjupiter! There is . . . there is _nothing_ which can be done to bring that poor girl back, _least_ of all continuing to find yourself to blame for her passing," the furry, grayish blue feline tentatively began from her place at Sailorjupiter's feet, looking up at her with greatly sympathetic eyes. ". . . . And, it _certainly_ wasn't your fault that your father had apparently been a rather . . . _unpleasant_ man, _or_ that your _mother_ had decided to leave you. But . . . you're no longer _alone_ , you _have_ to know that. The life you've led up to this point has indeed been a very sad one . . . but it's all going to change, for the _better_ now, because you have _us_. . . ."

Rather than take comfort within the wise feline's words, as her newfound companions had been hoping for, Sailorjupiter merely scoffed loudly, before turning her back to each of them once more.

"No . . . you're _wrong_ \- You're _all_ wrong. . . . I really _am_ no good, and _bad luck_ , even. . . . It's why everyone I've _ever_ cared about have all gone away in some way . . . I'm probably the _primary_ reason why my father had died so suddenly, as well. . . ." she spoke bitterly, clenching her gloved fists once more. "No . . . I'm _meant_ to be alone . . . to _stay_ alone, forever. . . ."

" _N-No_ , that's _not_ true! W-What about _us?_ What about our _team?"_ Sailormeridian cried within dual affect and disbelief, reaching out to touch the self-pitied redhead once again, however stopped herself at the last minute. She watched in heartache as Sailorjupiter turned her bright colored head to the side, and gazed at her within the corner of her eye before responding.

". . . . There _is_ no 'us,' _or_ 'team,'" she spoke hollowly, before returning her attention straight ahead. "And if you're smart, you'll all just keep _away_ from me . . . for your own _good_. . . ."

Positively stunned by the rather unexpected development, even amidst the continually ongoing tension, the remaining trio found themselves cemented within each of their spots, as they helplessly watched the slender, newly turned superheroine swiftly retreat from the scene.

"H-Hey, _wait!_ Sailorjupiter, come _back!"_ Csilla called out within astonishment, after having successfully found her voice in that moment. Her heart began to pound soundly within her tiny chest due to anxiety, as she and her two remaining pupils witnessed Sailorjupiter's Guardian Soldier uniform vanish within a burst of soft green colored light and sparkles.

"W-What are we going to do?" a very taken aback and flummoxed Sailormars lightly whispered, her unease growing the longer she watched Will's newly returned civilian form rapidly continue to increase the distance between them all.

Sailormeridian slowly took a wobbly step forward, renewed tears forming within her gentle blue eyes as she, too, looked after the redhead.

". . . . I-I don't know . . . I don't know," she forlornly replied in faintness, feeling honestly unsure of whether or not things were going to be all right from that moment on. . . .

**\- End of Act 4**


	6. ℓ Act 5 ℓ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--------
> 
> This chapter was created/written in August 2010, and completed September 2011.
> 
> \--------

It had been several days since Sailors Meridian and Mars had located the next celestial member of their Guardian Soldiers, Sailorjupiter, at the same time that Elyon had met the evasive, yet still kind loner, Will Vandom . . . both of whom had turned out to be one in the same.

Naturally, it had been a bit of a shock for the petite blonde when she had first realized this, initially believing that the new-in-town redhead would have been a mere newfound, general comrade and nothing more, much within the way that Elyon had perceived the quite similar situation regarding Taranee upon their _own_ shared meeting many weeks prior.

Regardless, the turn of events for both scenarios, and for both girls had been welcomed by Elyon, knowing that, despite now having to share a new world which was, at times, full of danger and trepidation lurking about nearly every corner, none of that would do much to dampen the newborn alliance the three soldiers would gradually share because of it.

At least, that was what Elyon had _hoped_ , anyhow. . . .

So far, Taranee continually seemed to be making a conscious effort to incorporate Elyon within her steadily busy and studious life, and not simply for only when it involved their private Guardian Soldier duties. This act was something which always warmed Elyon's heart and made her truly appreciate, as while she still had so much to learn about the shy and brilliant young woman and, vice versa, she was well aware of how that very same timidity did seem to make things difficult at times for the two of them to proceed any further within their blossoming friendship.

Nonetheless, it was a start . . . which was more than what could be said about _Will_ , who seemed to have vanished clear off the face of the Earth, an observation which only further aided within the at times quite consuming, worrisome nature Elyon had adopted since the very last time she had laid her eyes upon the girl. . . .

And it obviously did not help matters much that the final occasion either Elyon _or_ Taranee had been with the extremely guarded teenager was during her simultaneous introduction into a new destiny (about which neither girl was honestly personally sure they could or ever _would_ be fully accepting, themselves), in addition to a severe, emotional breakdown over a private hell the redhead had evidently been keeping bottled up deep within for years on end. . . .

It bothered Elyon greatly to think about (although try as she might not to do as such), to remember how wounded and infantile Will had appeared on that night, an absolutely _far_ cry from the confident and brave stature she had previously exuded, since the pair's very first encounter with one another earlier that same week.

What an absolute downpour of raw emotion she had to have felt in that moment, having dealt with one heavy burden of her own, separate past for so long and barely coping with it, it seemed, only to have yet _another_ burden to be placed upon her, perhaps just as great. . . .

_All of this, suddenly finding myself one of many protectors to the entire planet -The_ _leader_ _of them, at_ _that, according to Csilla - when we're all only_ _children_ _is still a bit much for me to deal with, even though it_ _has_ _become a lot better some, now that I'm no longer alone in it. But I don't think that I could imagine being within_ _Will's_ _shoes, having lived the tragic life that she's experienced up until now,_ _and_ _have to now fulfill a duty as a Guardian Soldier, as well . . ._ _especially_ _since people, and being around them in general, let alone looking after or_ _saving_ _them, seems to be pretty much the last thing she'd want to do. I can't blame her. . . ._ Elyon thought with great morose and an added sigh from where she presently sat, a bit lopsidedly next to a quietly speaking Taranee.

It was now currently a Friday afternoon, and the weekend was finally ahead of both girls to do with as they pleased, and _so_ far, the kindhearted intellectual had chosen to spend some of it properly fulfilling her previously offered services as Elyon's private tutor.

The duo had met up with one another at what was increasingly becoming their favored hangout (much as it had always been between Elyon and Alchemy throughout the years, although obviously not within the newfound, still very much secret 'added perk' of sorts that the enchanted Csilla had taken steps to create for her charges), _The Musical Star Café_ , where they would spend at least an hour's time upon their current lesson.

This agreement hadn't honestly bothered Elyon to come to, figuring that it would have been a rather smart idea to take advantage of getting as much of her weekend homework out of the way as she could, before she settled back into her bedroom sanctuary later on that day, and most probably sulked over what she was now privately referring to 'The Will Dilemma,' straight until the following Monday morning.

But _now_ , she was finding herself feeling increasingly guilty over having decided to allow Taranee to assist her with her studies, given that not one word the academic genius had been speaking over what Elyon had, before zoning out, at least managed to catch to be ' _Roots and Exponents_ ,' was even remotely registering.

And given that the young girl had to leave straight after to make it to her tap and jazz session on time, as today was her another one of her dancing lessons days, this only served to further ferment Elyon's guilty conscience.

She was about to speak up and finally own up to her lack of concentration throughout the entire lesson, which, upon looking down at her yellow colored wristwatch wrapped securely around her right wrist in that moment, she then realized was now approaching the thirty minute mark, when Taranee suddenly beat her to it.

". . . . Is something the matter, Miss Brown? I only ask because, given that I _do_ tutor many others besides yourself, I've gotten pretty used to the glazed over expressions some of them might possess during our sessions," she softly commented with an accompanying smile to indicate no hard feelings over the astute observation.

Feeling her milk and honeyed complexion growing warm within immediate abashment, Elyon quickly straightened her posture within her seat, at the same time that she flashed her new friend an apologetic simper of her own.

This had admittedly been the very first smile she had managed to for the remainder of that week, as the woeful concerns she'd continued to feel towards the missing Will were far too overpowering, otherwise. And this, as well, made her feel all the _more_ upset and guilt-ridden, as she was quite positive the absence of her traditionally sunny disposition hadn't gone unnoticed by any of her _other_ companions at school (all of whom, while seeming to have become affected by the foreign behavior, had chosen not to draw much attention to it, perhaps out of quiet respect, leaving Elyon to feel a bit grateful for, as she most likely would have started to cry over the matter if they had).

It certainly hadn't escaped _Taranee's_ attention, the very moment she had laid eyes upon her earlier that afternoon, after days of being unable to since their last battle together as Guardian Soldiers. They _had_ managed to squeeze in a little telephone time the previous evening, however, although it had only lasted for a few minutes and was spent discussing their tutorial plans for today.

Still, even through the decreased amount of time, and natural awkwardness that she, at least, had felt to have been sharing her premiere telephone conversation with the usually bubbly teenager (especially since it had been under the shy girl's own, fairly uncommon initiative, at that), Taranee had nonetheless managed to catch the distinct shift within Elyon's over conduct.

She had been rather tempted to have asked the blonde right then and there that evening if something was troubling her, but had decided against it in the end, mainly because she had heard the greatly strained effort the smaller girl had been making to sound as unaffected about anything at all on the other end of the telephone line.

But it didn't matter.

Taranee already had had a strong inkling of what could have been the matter with the young woman, much as she was even now, as the two continued to sit side by side and surrounded by their mathematical note and textbooks, upon one of the two, always comfortable and spacious couches within the Guardian Soldiers' secret headquarters.

Truth be told, that was the primary reason why Taranee had wanted to schedule a meeting between the two of them of the non-Entity-fighting variety, just in case there wouldn't be any such activity any time soon, and thus their individual weekends carried on without possibly ever seeing one another until the following week.

She didn't want to run the risk of Elyon carrying all of the turbulent emotions she clearly now held within her for that long, without anyone to talk to about it (except perhaps for Csilla, of course, although Taranee wasn't entirely certain yet if the usually knowledgeable feline was also personally aware of her premiere charge's change within behavior) . . . given its rather delicate and thus far rather concealed overall nature.

'Psychic' or no, Taranee had already foreseen that the abrupt and emotionally rattling fallout between the new girl, Will Vandom, Elyon, and herself as fellow Guardian Soldier teammates would undoubtedly rock the pigtailed blonde to her core.

True, she did not know her all too well quite yet, but Taranee already knew one thing for certain about the blue-eyed girl, something which increasingly made the talented teenager feel honestly fortunate to have someone like her within her life: Elyon cared, and she cared _a lot_ , for just about everything and _everyone_. . . .

And _because_ she did, and with such ferocity, Taranee felt an almost, inexplicable obligation, of sorts, to make sure that anything which could pose a potential threat to obscuring the other girl's naturally compassionate resolve be remedied as swiftly as possible.

_Besides, it's the least I could do . . . I mean, given how kind and sweet she's always been with me, and even been concerned_ _about_ _me at times, as well_ , Taranee silently reflected with another miniscule smile gracing her full-pouted lips at the thought, before carefully placing her sharpened pencil upon the page she had been previously reading from within her thick, white colored textbook, and closed it.

Csilla, whose otherwise usually noticeable presence _both_ girls had for a change admittedly forgotten about, once the trio had entered the magically cloaked predominantly black and white themed lounge area, suddenly appeared from behind Elyon as she gracefully jumped onto the arm of the white colored couch.

Her rich, green eyes seemed rather heavy, as well as watery, as though she had been asleep somewhere within the vast room throughout the entire half hour they all had been there, and the rather generous yawn she then allowed to escape past her furry, miniscule sized lips only added to the general assumption.

"Oh! Ex . . . cuse me, girls," the wise feline apologized in between her fatigued exhale, before gently digging the sharp claws of both her front, as well as hind paws into the arm of the couch where she continued to perch herself, and proceeded to raise her back high into the air as she arched her entire body, in order to give herself a nice, good stretch. " _Mmmm_. . . . Now, then. What was that I heard about something being wrong with Elyon? I have to admit that I have been wondering that, myself, during the last few days . . . although I might already have a strong understanding as to why. . . ."

Sighing heavily at this, Elyon lightly shook her sunlit colored head before abruptly rising to her feet, succeeding within startling both Taranee, and the mystical animal who'd been formerly on either side of her.

"It's just -! I mean . . . I haven't been able to stop thinking about _Will_. . . . I mean, _everything_ about her . . . who she is, who she _was_ . . . her _past_ . . . _and_ the fact that she's also now a member of our team. . . . Or, at least, how she was _supposed_ to be," she lightly revealed, voice barely above a whisper and already beginning to crack with presently unshed tears, as she was at last able to voice what had been on her mind _and_ within her heart for what felt like decades. "A-And the _worst_ part of it all is that I don't even know where she _lives,_ so that I could at least go to her house and try to console her! It's been absolute _torture_ going back to school every day since our first battle together as Soldiers, and then never seeing her during lunchtime again. . . . I mean, w-what if . . . what if something happened to her, like another _Entity_ got to her, and that's the _real_ reason why she's stopped coming to school? How could we - How could _I_ possess such so called ' _great powers,_ ' and yet _still_ manage to feel so helpless over being unable to help out one of my friends?"

Just simply _listening_ to Elyon finally let out every last one of her stressful concerns, and how much it was clearly tearing her apart, was enough to make Taranee begin to tear up, herself, which then made her silently thankful that the petite girl had thus far opted within keeping her back turned to her two companions, as the sight of the dishwater blonde's undoubtedly puckered up and reddened face so full of heartache would probably be enough to make _her_ break, as well. . . .

Pausing for a moment, allowing for the dual chance for her primary ward to calm down, if only minutely, as well as for her own, extended opportunity to carry out her present thought as delicately as she could (for she was well aware that most definitely Elyon, if not also Taranee, would not at all be keen about it), Csilla softly cleared her throat, before just as gently presenting both girls with an ever present truth about their overall situation.

"I . . . I know that, clearly, what had transpired between all four of us that particular night had been rather . . . tumultuous and sideswiping, at best . . . and maybe one day, very soon, even, the three of us will be able to get through to her somehow and let her know that we _can_ be her friends if only she'll _let_ us be, but . . . the fact still remains that, Will is _still_ a Guardian Soldier, and _will_ be until the very end, regardless of whether or not any of us are successful within fully bridging the obvious gap set between us all at present. . . ." the tiny female cat spoke within a matter-of-fact, almost heartless capacity, although her emerald hued eyes effortlessly betrayed her to reveal the undeniable care she now possessed for her at times flaky and bothersome, but always loyal and true pupil, Elyon.

Despite seeing this for herself, as she currently had the advantage Elyon did not of being seated right next to the fluffy feline, Taranee was nonetheless feeling a bit taken aback by her newfound mentor's words, and knew for absolute certain that _Elyon_ would be, as well.

Sure enough, the blue-eyed girl promptly whirled around within her spot, commonly messy pigtails slicing through the air and briefly slapping at her left cheek and right shoulder as she did so.

" _W-What?_ How could you _say_ such a thing, Csilla? Are you telling me that having Will be 'Sailorjupiter' is _more_ important than having her be all right, a-and maybe . . . maybe even becoming an actual _friend_ one day?" Elyon expressed with profound shock and admitted disgust, something she had never felt towards the mystical instructor before.

She then maneuvered herself around the elongated couch, suddenly feeling the great need to distance herself from Csilla, and headed towards the small kitchen bar area for something to drink, in hopes of calming her nerves.

"You know - Or _should_ know, anyhow, that it is not like that at _all_ , Elyon! Of _course_ I, too, would enjoy it tremendously if things could be swiftly mended within Will's life - _Everything_. And if her becoming our, or even just _your_ friend, alone, would help in that, then more blessings all around," Csilla began with a sharp exhale, as she and Taranee simultaneously turned within their seats to get a better view of the temporarily retreating Guardian Soldier, "but she _still_ is who she is, as you, yourself, had put it just moments before. At the end of the day, she will still be a Guardian Soldier, and as much as you, and perhaps even _she_ , herself, now, would very much like to have that altered, it _cannot_ be. We have to somehow convince her to take up her responsibilities as Sailorjupiter, for there are no substitutes. . . ."

After having taken a generous sip of the cool and refreshing glass of water she had just then poured for herself from out of the miniature refrigerator, Elyon swiftly wiped at both her mouth _and_ her eyes, in order to free them from the previously afflicting moisture, although each for naturally separate reasons.

"That is _not_ what I meant when I said that Will 'is who she is,' and you _know_ it, Csilla!" she barked within furthered upset, pointing the index finger of her right, free hand straight towards the bluish-gray cat from across the way, whose turn it now was to feel utter disbelief of her own, however over how uncharacteristically forceful the young blonde was currently being.

Throughout all of the already mounting squabbles the two had shared together since the very day they'd first met, none had ever come anywhere close to being as serious as _this_ present disagreement was rapidly seeming to become.

It was certainly a little more than disconcerting, to say the least.

"Will's being a Guardian Soldier only now consumes _what_ she is, just like it does for Taranee and me! But it will _never_ be _who_ she is - Who _any_ of us truly are," Elyon chose to continue from her new place in front of the closed refrigerator, setting down the partially consumed, clear glass of water upon the white counter-top in front of her. She then took a step towards both Csilla, and the ever silent Taranee, watery blue eyes now alight with a fiery passion, a passion, _period_ , which she had not felt in days. "All I wanted was to be Will's friend, _well_ before the 'distinct feeling,' or sensing, or _whatever_ you do whenever looking for the next Guardian Soldier happened about her, Csilla . . . and I _still_ wanted to be the same kind of friend to her even _after_ we'd all found out the truth, just like how I wanted that with _you_ , Taranee. . . . But, even if her being Sailorjupiter and actively helping us to fight would mean the definitive difference between life or death, I . . . I-I _still_ can't force her to join us. I _won't_ , I'm sorry. . . ."

While Elyon's startling, although unmistakable standpoint upon the rather pressing matter had even barely begun to sink in for the two remaining females, she then suddenly moved back towards the twin couches where the pair continued to sit, however only to hurriedly gather up her belongings.

It was witnessing this act which finally jolted Taranee out of her muted daze.

"W-Wait, what are you doing, Miss Brown? Where are you going? We still have another twenty-three minutes left to study," she stammered out, a bit stupidly, against her contradicting, natural brilliance, before promptly choosing to amend herself as she _this_ time carelessly tossed her math book aside in order to stand properly up. "I-If you don't wish to continue, which I can completely understand, given the recent turn of events, w-we can all just stay and try to relax for a little, too! I mean, we could read some more of the latest magazines set up over there, o-or pop some popcorn before listening to a few of Cornelia Hale's music tracks, instead! T-That's the beauty of Csilla's handiwork with this secret room, and the various devices she'd placed within: We can do virtually anything we wish!"

She knew she was admittedly laying it on a bit too thickly within her avid plea to have the emotionally wounded blonde stay, if only just long enough to effectively calm down, so that when she _did_ eventually leave, Taranee, and perhaps Csilla, as well (although the feline, unlike her, had the better advantage of dwelling within the same abode as the girl in question during such times), wouldn't spend the remainder of that day, and maybe even the entire weekend going nearly mad with worry over her state of being.

And she figured that tactfully mentioning the girls' shared interest within the smaller teenager's absolute hero, Cornelia Hale, would be a good step within the right direction at the very least, as the famous singer never seemed to fail within brightening up Elyon's day.

At least, she never seemed to, until today. . . .

". . . . S-Sorry, Taranee . . . but I think I'd just like to head home and be alone for a little while, if you don't mind," Elyon listlessly responded with a small shake of her head, much to Taranee's, and evidently Csilla's demoralization, who then hung her small head low and slowly began to bend her normally pointed ears back within blatant affect. "I'm really sorry to cut our lesson short like this, honestly, and to leave . . . but my head's not honestly within the right place right now, so I couldn't honestly concentrate much anymore, _or_ be the best company to you guys. . . ."

"W-Well . . . at least, would you like us to walk you out, or walk you home or something, instead, then?" Taranee offered her companionship within one last ditch effort to ease the pigtailed girl's ongoing suffering, watching with helpless eyes as she already made her way towards the golden hued elevators which would lead her back up to the café's public entrance and exit.

"No . . . no, I'll be fine. But thank you, though, Taranee, really. . . . I'll maybe call you later this weekend just to check in or something, but if not, have a good weekend, all right? . . . . Be safe. . . ." Elyon replied with a faint, shaky smile of mild reassurance after entering the elevator and turning to face her remaining comrade, while primarily thinking of her missing _other_ upon uttering her final words, just as the metallic doors slid closed.

". . . . Well, _that_ went well, didn't it?" Csilla whispered within saddened defeat, mainly to herself than to Taranee, once her first charge had gone. Taranee, her own resolve feeling rather broken, as well, slowly pulled her gaze away from the once again sealed elevator, and then settled it upon the forlorn cat within sympathy.

It was almost surreal, the last, mere minutes which had just passed, _especially_ now, witnessing Csilla within all her shattered glory.

_She_ was the one who was meant to always remain strong, to have all of the right answers, and to know just what to do. It was admittedly part of the comfort which aided Taranee within her _own_ personal feelings over suddenly having become a savior to all.

And Csilla was also the one who, although with curious tact with the few words said about it, helped place her within the right direction towards her road to better understanding, and perhaps even accepting her natural (or, _unnatural_ , as she always felt them to be) psychic abilities, to the point where she had already secretly begun incorporating meditative activities into her increasingly busy schedule.

Taranee wasn't honestly sure if her newfound efforts were at all helping, or even if it was a correct effort for her particular ability, but the very fact that she was setting out to even try at all spoke volumes for the amount of assistance and guidance Csilla had already provided to the young girl.

_And so I'm going to help_ _her_ _, as well . . . as best that I can, anyway. And maybe in by doing so, it will help fix things between she and Miss Brown, thus helping Miss Brown, also. . . . But, how?_ Taranee thought within a mixture of determination and helplessness all at once, lightly tugging at the end of her habitually French-braided hair as she did so.

And then it hit her.

Without a word, she moved from her place before the still sulking Csilla, and towards the uniquely circular shaped computer, which had been set up near the couches upon the left-hand side of the vast room. Taking a seat at the black colored work desk which housed the ivory hued machine, Taranee immediately set about putting her newly formed idea into motion, a small, but growing smile spreading across her smooth visage.

". . . . T . . . Taranee? What are you doing?" she could then hear Csilla's tiny voice sound from behind her, over the fierce clicking sound effects of the astute girl's skilled typing.

"Well . . . remember a few days ago when you first informed me of your theories about how Sailor V might be our princess? And then how you and I then set about collecting as much research and information about her as we could, either here through the use of the computer, or when you personally had attempted to locate and then track her on foot?" Taranee began slowly, as she was already becoming too engrossed within the apparent investigation she was now conducting to speak within the normal, non-distracted pace she possessed.

Unsure of where her remaining pupil was going with her train of thought, Csilla nodded slowly from her place upon the couch, before swiftly jumping off of it and effortlessly closing the distance between the two of them, as she made her way over to her.

"Yes . . . Y-Yes, of course I do. . . . Are you attempting to resume our efforts? We have not even informed Elyon about it yet, although I had hoped we would have had the opportunity to today, but. . . . _A-Anyway_ , I do wonder how far we may succeed this time, however, as our computer exploration has _so_ far been more successful than _my_ attempts to track her next whereabouts, as you'd mentioned . . . and our computer research hasn't been _that_ much more beneficiary thus far, at that," she replied with a sigh, although she was beginning to sound much more like the traditionally knowledgeable, authoritative, yet benignant Csilla she had always conveyed to Taranee since day one.

And hearing the distinct change within her disposition already only furthered Taranee's growing confidence that she was on the right track with what she was currently planning.

Her warm brown eyes, from behind her dark framed and slender eyeglasses, continued to both scan, then absorb the various pieces of information being displayed upon the white colored computer, before she then spoke once more.

"True . . . our research hasn't exactly been the most fruitful so far, Csilla . . . but then, we _are_ attempting to delve into something which is rather otherworldly, while using means which _are_ . . . or at least, for the _most_ part, anyhow," she remarked with another smile, turning her onyx colored head towards the individual in question, who had just then carefully jumped onto the desk at her right side, in order to get a better view of what the young woman was typing.

Momentarily returning the similar facial expression, Csilla could then feel it begin to fade the moment she'd turned her attention more properly onto the computer screen, to see that Taranee wasn't searching for anything even remotely related to Sailor V at all, but. . . .

". . . . _Will?_ You are attempting to locate _Will_ , instead?" the Russian Blue feline queried with an honest look of perplexity scrawled across her tiny face. "I . . . _suppose_ that I can at least understand your _intention_ , anyway . . . I mean, it _had_ been your suggestion in the first place to try to find out more about Sailor V through the use of the computer and your . . . 'Inter . . . Net' as it's called, but do you really think it can help us locate Will in the meantime? After all, if anyone _could_ find her, it'd be _me_ , and _I_ have not been able to properly sense her since the last time we had encountered one another. . . ."

At this, Taranee promptly stopped typing, and slightly turned within her swivel chair to look upon the bothered cat more properly.

"Wait . . . I thought that you could _always_ sense where all of us are once we've been 'activated,' as it were? Or, at least have a pretty strong idea of who is the next Guardian Soldier, and who is _not,_ if you're within the same vicinity as they are before they've awakened . . . you know, because the seven-pointed star mark upon your forehead also reacts, as well? Isn't that how it's happened for each of us thus far, anyway?" she asked with a small frown of confusion, before softly biting down onto her bottom lip as a new, much more pressing inquiry infiltrated her mind. "If . . . if you can't feel Miss Vandom's presence, then does that mean . . . that is . . . is she -"

"- _No_ , I would _definitely_ know that if . . . ' _that_ ' were the case, which it thankfully is _not_ , Taranee," Csilla gently interrupted in order to promptly put the girl's mind at ease. "In fact, there will soon come a time when each of you as Guardian Soldiers, just as you will also be able to discern each of your specific whereabouts, as well, will even be able to sense such an event as that for one another, once you've all fully awakened and your connective bond matures . . . but hopefully none of you will ever need to feel such a morbid sensation as that, of course. . . . No. I believe that the reason I am unable to fully sense Will's current location is mainly due to the fact that, while she _has_ awakened within the same manner as both you and Elyon, she is . . . perhaps managing to _suppress_ it somehow. . . ."

" _Suppress_ it? You mean . . . so it really _is_ possible to stop being a Guardian Soldier, after all?" Taranee thought aloud, her mind already racing over what such a prospect could mean for each of them, and _especially_ what it could mean to Elyon if it were so.

The blonde's new friend would be free to lead as happy a life as she could possibly make it, without having to concern herself with the seemingly never-ending threat to the planet . . . which is precisely all that Elyon wanted for the redhead now.

Possessing quite the strong inkling over where Taranee's current ruminations were currently heading, Csilla calmly then rested her left front paw upon the girl's right hand, which continued to rest casually upon the small computer mouse placed onto the desk, as well.

". . . . I know that all of this, this sudden, and admittedly frightening transition has not been easy for you, Taranee - For _any_ of you. . . . And I imagine that once we've found the remaining Soldiers, it will most probably be quite the alarming eyeopener for the rest of _them_ , as well. . . . I really _did_ mean what I'd said to Elyon earlier about how if I had it within me to change things so that Will, _and_ the rest of you did not have to endure what you have, and _will_ within the near future, then I honestly would," she spoke softly with twinkling green eyes, feeling her tiny heart swelling to twice its size with the ardent attachment she'd already possessed for all three current Guardian Soldiers, in addition to the ones yet to be found. . . .

It was something she had tried so hard to deny at first (although primarily where it concerned the at times exasperating blonde, which, currently unbeknownst to Csilla, was a feeling which was quite mutual on the pigtailed girl's end), perhaps due to moments such as this, where she would have to remind her young proteges, as _well_ as herself, of how their intended legacies could not be changed . . . no matter _how_ much any of them might yearn for it.

Csilla cleared her throat and then lowered her gaze away from the clearly taken aback Taranee, the two of them now sharing the appropriate timidity over the premiere sentimental moment being shared between simply just the two of them.

And even though the bluish-gray feline did want to move on within the conversation, for that very reason, she pressed on in order to finish her final thought upon the matter, feeling it to be far too important to let slide.

". . . . U-Um, but _anyhow_ , I _cannot_ change things for any of you, I'm sorry. . . . I can only do what I can to help guide you within the best of my ability, in order to ensure that you all do _your_ absolute best as the Guardian Soldiers you were each meant to be," she concluded that particular sentiment with a little less conviction than what she'd begun with, before raising her emerald tinted eyes to meet Taranee's brown, as she then returned to the more pressing situation at hand. "But, back to the matter concerning Will, specifically. . . . I believe that perhaps the reason she is capable of subduing her newfound powers and thus, effectively cloaking herself from me for the time being, is because that she, _unlike_ you and Elyon . . . well, by comparison, anyhow, has avidly rejected her position as a Guardian Soldier . . . as _Sailorjupiter_. . . ."

Beginning to nod slowly within growing understanding, at least over this specific issue, if not the one momentarily discussed prior to, Taranee carefully removed her right hand away from the mouse and from Csilla, in order to interlock it with her left within a light clasp.

". . . . I think I understand your point, Csilla. . . . This is a behavior quite common within the studies of human psychology, for example. That is, if an individual has experienced something so horrific, or traumatizing, to where he or she would wish only to _forget_ it had even occurred, then he or she would then proceed to block it out _so_ excessively and _repeatedly,_ to a point where it's quite honestly as though the incident really _hadn't_ happened at all," she explained carefully, lest the small animal grew lost within her meaning, although she highly doubted it, given that Csilla was rather sagacious, herself, overall . . . even if a few earthly devices _did_ seem to bewilder her at times, at least initially, such as the Internet. "I think that it's _highly_ possible that this is precisely what Miss Vandom has done for herself about the recent change within events. But, perhaps because we _are_ dealing with something rather supernatural, that mental and emotional denial she has placed upon herself for this has _now_ also translated into a blockade for her Guardian Soldier powers. . . . I wonder, though, if this means that if she were to ever be attacked by another Entity from now, until the time we've successfully located her, that she wouldn't be able to transform again?"

_I_ _also_ _wonder if her having become a Guardian Soldier hadn't jarred her trying past she'd shared with all of us to the surface as a result, and possibly undid any emotional restraining she may have done in regards to that, as well,_ Taranee thought a bit pensively, suddenly beginning to ponder over whether or not her trying to locate the troubled redhead was a good idea, after all, as she was now starting to feel just as torn as _Elyon,_ over whether including Will into their enchanted team and trying to get her to actively participate within it was honestly wise, or even worth it.

It just really didn't seem all that fair to her within the long run. . . .

"I'm not honestly sure about that, Taranee, as Will's apparent ability to suppress her already activated powers is quite the impressive feat in and of itself, I will admit. . . . Her willpower truly is one to behold," Csilla allowed herself to openly marvel, already feeling quite impressed with the capabilities the red haired tomboy in question apparently possessed, which made her then begin to wonder just _how_ capable she truly could be as a participating Guardian Soldier. If they ever found, and then successfully _convinced_ her to be, that is. "This is precisely one of the reasons why she _must_ be found, Taranee. That very strength of will she possesses is a key indicator of just how powerful she ultimately could become - How _all_ of you could ultimately become. . . . However, without the proper guidance, I fear she will become a sitting duck for all the forces of evil out there, which are just eager to take advantage of the situation. . . ."

Hearing once more of how the strong possibility of Will becoming a potential target and victim for their vile opponents, yet again, could very well one day soon become an undeniable reality, Taranee decided for herself that helping to find her as soon as possible was what was, for now, their most important agenda.

And so, without another word, she turned back towards the temporarily forgotten computer in order to resume her search, feeling herself working twice as hard as a result.

Csilla, meanwhile, was still a bit curious as to how the young girl would be able to locate the missing teenager, even _with_ her vast intellect on her side to use at her own disposal. And so, she'd then asked precisely that.

"Well . . . unlike the Sailor V search, where, for now, at least, we've mainly been combing through any and all related stock media concerning her, I'm currently attempting to simply locate Miss Vandom's home address, instead," Taranee began to explain upon having listened to Csilla's previous query.

This response, however, did little to squelch the female animal's quest for furthered understanding.

"But, how do you plan to do such a thing, Taranee? I'd imagine that if any of us had possessed Will's address in the first place, we would have established contact with her _days_ ago," Csilla remarked with a tiny, perplexed scowl, tilting her head to one side and lightly swishing her long, slender tail back and forth behind her, as she continued to split her attention between the computer screen and the studious girl next to her.

"True, Csilla . . . but I have to admit that I believe I have heard Miss Vandom's name before," Taranee started, pausing within her search a moment in order to award the furry creature beside her a sheepish look within the corner of her eye. "That is . . . _before_ our first, formal introduction, of course. But it honestly hadn't come to me until today, after the disagreement between you and Miss Brown. . . . So, what I'm trying to do now is to see if anything significant comes up about her - Or, at least her _surname_ , anyway. Although, I have a strong feeling that perhaps her _first_ name will, as well. . . ."

As Csilla silently began to wonder if this hunch of Taranee's wasn't merely due to her clairvoyant capabilities, which were now merely manifesting themselves and beginning to advance further along without her even realizing (which would not honestly be that much of a stretch, that, considering that the bright girl, herself, had already candidly revealed that she was more or less nowhere near close to beginning to understand those particular powers), she suddenly heard the young girl gasp within delight.

Clearly, she had found something valuable.

Turning her attention back onto the sphere shaped computer screen, Csilla could now see what had had Taranee so enraptured. For there, pulled up for the two of them to read, was a rather informative online news article, with the title informatively reading, _'Late Garrick Plaza Hotel Tycoon's Only Child Stands to Inherit Millions, at Only Thirteen-Years-Old'_ within bold, big, black letters.

But it wasn't that which had immediately caught both females' attention.

It had been the slightly more subtle, at least within size, _subtitle_ which scrawled itself directly beneath its predecessor:

_'Thomas Vandom's Young Daughter, 'W,' Now Becomes One of the Youngest CEOs in America, as His Sole Heiress to His Entire Empire.'_

Slowly managing to tear their eyes away from the glowing, white computer screen, both Taranee and Csilla could only gaze upon one another with a knowing, yet at the same time taken aback sort of expression, before Taranee then volunteered to read the full article aloud.

"'Thomas Vandom, son of Thomas Vandom, _Senior_ , the original founder of the Garrick Plaza Hotel empire, which extends clear across the United States, in addition to several parts of Canada, leaves behind more than just his family.

The notoriously headstrong, and savvy businessman also leaves behind his entire estate to his only offspring, his daughter, who happens to be only thirteen-years-old.

'W,' as several of her newly acquired attorneys have expressed that she simply be referred to as within the media, due to her young age and uniquely given circumstances, has been appointed her late father's former position within company, making her one of the youngest Chief Executive Officers, or CEOs, within the country.

The news of Mr. Vandom's decision had recently been revealed during a much anticipated press conference Thursday evening, concerning the fate of the Vandom Family's durably established domain, by his long time compatriot, Milorad Sorge.

'As a seasoned co-executive to the Garrick Plaza Hotel establishment, even now, after Mr. Vandom's unexpected passing six months prior, I do intend to remain as such, _and_ to do the best that I can to assist his young daughter within her upcoming and ongoing transition, one which will undoubtedly be trying, to say the least,' he said, upon having been promptly asked what the revelation of both Mr. Vandom's sudden demise, as well as will and testament would mean for him, specifically, and for his own steady position within the company.

As for what it will mean for 'W,' herself, only time will tell. . . .'" Taranee finally finished within her reading without pausing to take a break, then after letting out a rather heavy exhale, while both she and Csilla allowed the newfound information to properly sink in.

Neither of them bothered to offer up any of their own personal thoughts or feelings upon the matter quite yet, although both were fairly certain that nothing honestly needed to be, as the article, itself, had spoken volumes.

It was now increasingly becoming more and more understandable as to why Will _would_ currently be possibly attempting to suppress her newfound powers as Sailorjupiter.

First, there had always been the issue of trying to cope with a family history such as her own, with it evidently having been quite tumultuous, long before her father had abruptly passed away, and her mother willingly choosing to abandon her shortly thereafter.

_Then,_ to suddenly having to grow up all more swiftly, due to the apparently added bonus of unavoidably becoming the frontrunner to a multi-million dollar company during an age where she _should_ have been becoming expectantly more concerned about passing her next school exam, rather than worrying over such dilemmas as which of her thousands of sudden employees would have to be let go.

And _now_ , because there was also the matter of having to face the fact that she suddenly held dominion over such an extraordinary, elemental power, power which was evidently meant to be used against creatures never before imagined, it was nearly an honest marvel that Will was still _standing,_ with such a profoundly chaotic life as hers. . . .

Hesitating for a moment, Csilla was the first to speak again, honestly finding herself secretly wishing more and _more_ that the fate of Will, as well as the rest of the Guardian Soldiers really _didn't_ have to be what it was, and could be rewritten somehow, after all.

". . . . We . . . We _had_ been informed by Will, herself, that the circumstances within her young life up to now had been one to behold, but . . . I had no idea that it extended even farther than what she had personally revealed. . . . I can see why she had chosen to withhold such information from us," she murmured softly with saddened eyes, as they began to re-read the one-year-old article still opened upon the computer screen. "That certainly seems to be _a lot_ of responsibility thrust upon someone so young. . . ."

Csilla found herself trailing off as she realized the strong relativity within her words. It seemed as though nothing _but_ great responsibilities were thrust upon many a youthful individual.

For Will.

For the rest of the Guardian Soldiers.

Even for the _Princess_ , which was one of the few things Csilla could manage to recall within her curiously, and at times flabbergasting limited memory, an overall fact which she discreetly chose to keep to herself. . . .

"I know. . . . The more we learn about her, the more I feel certain that I could not ever be able to handle any of what _she_ has had to endure, myself," Taranee suddenly replied within agreement, breaking through her mentor's silent reverie and inner, carefully concealed affliction. She then reached out to click upon a link provided at the bottom of the completed article, which evidently led to another, although still relative article about the Vandom Family, and their overall legacy. ". . . . Hmm . . . this one seems to be repeating pretty much what the first article had stated, about how Mister Vandom had passed away and what it means for Miss Vandom, but also goes more into detail about the actual family, itself, more so than the business. . . . It says here that Mister Vandom, Senior, who had started with absolutely nothing and with a limited education, at that, had inevitably managed to create the very successful hotel empire it is known for being today. . . . He had evidently perished almost twenty years prior due to a stroke, thereafter leaving _his_ entire estate to his only son, instead of to his wife, Margaret, Mister Vandom Junior's mother, who is by now also deceased. . . . It seems that Mister Vandom, Junior, had perhaps inherited _that_ particular 'trait' of sorts from his father, as it goes on to state how, when he had left everything to Miss Vandom, he, too, had left nothing to _her_ mother . . . although, I suppose that that's just as well, seeing as Misses Vandom had decidedly gone away. Even this _article_ doesn't seem to know of her current whereabouts, or at least her whereabouts at the time this had been written one year ago, anyway. . . ."

"Indeed. . . . Then I suppose that this followup article definitely settles any lingering doubt either one of us might have had over whether the 'W' Vandom' they had been referring to and our Will are one in the same," Csilla said with small, disapproving shake of her head in regards to the redhead's estranged mother, yet another detail concerning the newly found Sailorjupiter's life which had been rather difficult for the young feline to grapple against. "At least now we know a bit more about her identity. . . . Good work, Taranee. . . ."

Taranee felt her mocha hued cheeks grow a bit flushed within slight embarrassment over the unexpected praise, especially over an otherwise discouraging issue, but she gave a small smile within appreciation towards the furry female next to her, nonetheless.

"Thank you, Csilla. . . . Now, all that's left to do is to make a list of all of the 'Garrick Plaza Hotels' within the area, and see if any one of their employees would possibly be willing to, at the very least, point us within the right direction in regards to where to find Miss Vandom, if they're at all allowed to," she responded with a brief nod of furthered acknowledgment, before returning her attention back onto the computer screen, in order to begin typing in a brand new search.

Csilla lightly frowned at the news.

"An admirable idea, Taranee, but do you not think that doing so will be like trying to look for a needle within a haystack, even if you _do_ manage to pinpoint every last nearby hotel Will's family owns? I mean, it hadn't exactly been all too easy for me to finally locate _Elyon_ when I had first come to this city searching for her, and even _after_ I had managed to sense her presence and figure out where she lived, herself, it was _still_ at times difficult to keep up with her," the magically blessed cat openly admitted within relevance, causing Taranee to promptly cease within her renewed typing.

She, too, then began to scowl in wonder, as Csilla's quite valid point quickly sank in.

"Hmm . . . I suppose you're right about that, Csilla. I mean, without you being able to actively sense Miss Vandom at the moment, and with her lawyers evidently having taken great steps to ensure her privacy and safety, I can't even attempt to properly locate her home address or anything close to that anymore, as originally planned," Taranee remarked within a defeated sort of air, now leaning back within her seat as she then gingerly began to rub at her temples with the both of her hands, after having taken off her glasses. "I'm afraid we're back to where we'd started. . . ."

The concerned pair then sat within returned silence for a few moments, feeling more and more helpless over their debacle as the seconds passed . . . that is, until something abruptly clicked inside of Csilla, it now being _her_ turn at attempting to execute a hopeful plan upon the matter.

" _Ah!_ I do not know why I hadn't thought of this much _sooner!_ _Days_ sooner, to be more precise! I must simply be losing my touch then, it seems!" she suddenly blurted out within excitement, causing Taranee to jump within her seat in surprise, and drop her spectacles onto the floor as a result.

"O-Oh! W-What's the matter, Csilla? _What_ didn't you think of sooner?" the naturally reserved intellect asked within continued jitters, before bending over to retrieve her fallen corrective eyewear. As she did so, Csilla quickly jumped off of the computer work desk, before standing just a few feet away from her.

"How to _finally_ locate Will! The solution had been _right_ there in front of us - Well, in front of _me_ all along!" she offered up as the only sort of explanation, which really hadn't been one at all, before she then curiously closed her eyes and began to seemingly concentrate.

Before Taranee could have ventured another inquiry about the increasingly befuddling turn of events, she then silently watched as the naturally lime green, seven-pointed star upon Csilla's forehead began to glow a more richer shade of olive, much within the way that it had prior to Will's premiere experience as Sailorjupiter.

And as Taranee had carefully replaced her eyeglasses back onto her face, a brief flash of light, the same hue as Csilla's currently glowing forehead occurred, causing the young human girl to turn her head away and shield her eyes within protection.

". . . . _There!_ Now we can use _this_ to aid us within our search for Will!" she could hear Csilla announce with profound eagerness, as well as admitted relief sounding within her small voice, just as Taranee reopened her brown eyes and returned her attention onto the talking feline.

Looking at her once more, she could see that the oddly shaped, and quite mystical birthmark had ceased within its former illumination, although the newfound smile upon the cat's face was currently coming close to rivaling its erstwhile intensity.

It was then that Taranee finally took notice of what looked to be a cellphone carefully placed upon the floor, in between the two females. In truth, it seemed to be yet another iPhone of Csilla's creation, to be more precise, or, ' _gPhone_ ' as she called the ones she'd bestowed onto both Elyon and Taranee as gifts not too long ago.

This one, as well, was rather unique within its outer shell, or casing, much within the way its predecessors had been, although being chartreuse in color and possessing various, white hot lightning streaks which intermingled with the soft pink tinted flower petals further decorating the back of it.

And within the very center of the beautiful, overall design, was the dark green, now increasingly familiar sign of the planet Jupiter. . . .

". . . . Miss Vandom's gPhone," Taranee whispered softly within a mixture of realization and awe, watching as Csilla carefully leaned forward to scoop it up into her mouth, before then just as carefully jumping onto her young pupil's lap to place it onto.

Upon doing so, the rather intelligent and gifted feline then nodded within continued happiness, before stating, " _Precisely!_ If you'll forgive my delayed recovery within recalling one of my own creations, I'll explain myself further, now! You see, as I had already explained to both you and Elyon after first presenting your _own_ gPhones to the two of you, they can be used to magically transform yourselves into whatever you see fit," she began within her usual, instructional air, before slowly climbing off of the brown-eyed girl's lap and back onto the black computer desk, leaving Will's presently unclaimed gPhone behind. "However, what I _hadn't_ mentioned to you girls was how they were made from the same energy signature as each of your transformation items, as well. . . ."

At this, Taranee automatically looked down at the ring finger of her right hand, which now habitually possessed the silvery, enchanted band, with the dark red jewel containing her specific Guardian Soldier symbol of Mars.

She then gazed upon Will's gPhone, as she gingerly lifted it up with her _left_ hand, and proceeded to look between it and her personally designated transformation ring, as though trying to piece together the still admittedly unclear puzzle Csilla had previously began to construct.

When nothing had yet seemed to register, Taranee said nothing, signaling for the bluish-gray feline to continue.

"What I am driving at is, because each of your transformation items and gPhones are comprised of essentially the same given energy as your innate powers as Guardian Soldiers, then -"

"- T-Then, in theory, you should be to focus your attention onto Miss Vandom's gPhone here, which would _then_ perhaps resonate with her _own_ Guardian ring, which should hopefully still be with her, _wherever_ that might end up being! I get it, Csilla!" Taranee interjected without being able to stop herself, as her mind had just then latched onto her mentor's own train of thought. She then looked upon the missing Will's gPhone which was still clasped gently within her left hand with a small, relieved smile, as she finally felt all of the stressful concerns which had been brewing within her for what felt like the longest beginning to wane.

That is, until a new, or rather _returned_ thought then fell upon her.

"Oh . . . wait a second. Far be it for me to even pretend to understand absolutely everything in regards to each of our powers, and what they can do, Csilla, but . . . if you've been unable to sense Miss Vandom's location, due to her apparently doing all that she can to keep her newfound powers bottled up inside, basically, then what good will having her gPhone and your new course of action do in the end? I mean, I imagine that having it now really _might_ make your concentration upon her ring, and thus, _her_ , a bit simpler . . . but isn't there a strong possibility that _it_ will simply cease within working, altogether, as well?" Taranee asked within renewed worry, blindly lowering the contraption in question back onto her lap, as she looked upon the green-eyed animal expectantly.

Csilla thankfully shook her head, however.

"Think of it . . . in terms of a sort of tracking device, like that . . . 'GPS' I'm always hearing Elyon's parents going on about," she began studiously, lightly draping her long tail around the bottom half of her body. " _It_ seems to possess the same sort of principle as you Guardian Soldiers, as well as your transformation items. As I'd stated earlier, all of you will one day soon be able to know where your fellow comrades are, as your overall bond as Soldiers grows; however, until that time, being that each of your individual metamorphic tokens are essentially an extension of yourselves, we can use them as a backup locator, no matter if one of you, like Will, attempts to suppress her powers. At least, that is the belief, anyhow. Said powers are inborn, and, especially now that they have recently been awakened, she will be unable to shield herself even from these items, I'd wager. . . ."

"Hmm . . . all right, I suppose. . . . So, _now_ what, exactly? Will you take Miss Vandom's gPhone, and just start concentrating until you finally feel wherever the matching energy signature of her transformation ring is?" Taranee pondered aloud, slowly rising to her feet with the magical device in question still in hand, as she then gave her body a small stretch.

Csilla nodded with a miniscule, yet confident smile.

"More or less, yes, Taranee, although I believe that I should probably head out to that park where we had each last seen her. It was the last place where we know for _fact_ she had been _and_ had used her powers, so I'm hoping that this knowledge will shorten my search time," she revealed calmly, before jumping off of the desk once again, and headed towards the golden elevator in the distance. She then suddenly stopped and turned back around to peer up at her Soldier of Fire a bit quizzically. "Taranee . . . about that park, I seem to recall that it was right across the street from a rather large, impressive looking building. I remember it, I'll admit, primarily due to the fact that it was all white within shade, unlike so many of the other, more beige or brown colored constructions I've seen thus far since arriving within this city. . . . _A-Anyway_ , I'm not entirely certain, of course, but I could have _sworn_ that on the very front was an equally large, golden sign, which I believe had read -"

"- 'The Garrick Plaza Hotel!' Of _course!_ How could I have been so _asinine?_ " Taranee gasped, posing the self-demeaning question more so to herself. "You're right, Csilla! That _was_ 'The Garrick Plaza Hotel!' This state of Florida's _riddled_ with them, just like every _other_ state, I'm sure, but downtown Heatherfield would of _course_ have one there, given that downtown _is_ where a lot of various businesspeople gather for seminars, and such. There _is_ the question of another, mirrored hotel not too far from that one, although it's actually around two hours away and within the next city over, so I don't believe that Miss Vandom had had any sort of business to attend to with that particular one on that day, given the distance. . . . No. If she _had_ been within the middle of perhaps looking over the affairs which had been inherited from her late father, right before that Entity had attacked her, then she most likely would have been doing so with the Garrick Plaza Hotel right across the street from where we'd found her!"

Csilla promptly began to feverishly swish her now elevated tail back and forth through the air within excitement, before performing a small, elated sort of hop, through the use of the front half of her body.

" _Indeed!_ And now, while _I'm_ busy within the park with my findings, _you_ can do a bit of investigating at the hotel in the meanwhile, and -!" the formerly eager feline then cut herself off as she realized what she was saying, curiously gazing up towards the star shaped clock hanging upon the wall directly above the elevator doors. "Oh. No, wait. Perhaps this will need to wait until tomorrow morning, instead, at least the looking after Will's hotel part, anyhow, as you've your dancing lesson at three o'clock today, correct?"

At this, Taranee let out a sharp gasp of alarm, before she too looked upon the silvery clock and saw that it now read a mere nine minutes to three within the afternoon.

"Oh, _no!_ I'd honestly completely forgotten all about that!" she admitted with great shame, surprised with herself that she could have ever gotten so distracted as to temporarily blank out about one of her most cherished pursuits, not to mention the fact that it would have been the first time she would have ever been late to _any_ of her scheduled appointments, period.

She quickly rushed back over to the white colored couch which still housed her now scattered belongings, and did her best to scoop up each one of them as hurriedly, yet neatly as she could.

"I'm so sorry about all of this, Taranee. I can see how much your dancing means to you; I shouldn't have gotten you this involved within the predicament over Will, having already previously been aware of where you needed to be, right after concluding your tutorial session with Elyon," Taranee could hear Csilla apologize from behind her, which immediately made her stop within her cleanup efforts.

A great surge of guilt then washed over the young girl's lithe body, as the female cat's words began to echo within her ears.

True, her dancing activities really _did_ mean a great deal to Taranee, and she always looked forward to each lesson every week. And staying on schedule for her many _other_ daily activities, and the efficiency maintained therein, had also become something she'd admittedly taken a bit of pride within over the years.

Still.

She had _wanted_ to help her two new friends, Elyon and Csilla in any way that she could over this particular matter. Neither female had forced or even expected her to, it seemed like, after all.

_And besides, wasn't this precisely what I'd always wanted for a long time now, anyway? To experience a little change of pace within my life, and to finally have actual friends who would be there for me, and me for them?_ Taranee reflectively thought to herself, almost within a reprimanding sort of manner. _No. I can't just turn my back on everything now, not when things finally seem to be moving forward. . . ._

"Taranee, are you all right? If you don't hurry now, you'll be -"

"- _Late_. I know, Csilla, and . . . it's all right," Taranee softly interrupted the talking cat with a shy smile, as she turned back around to face her. "After all, as both you and Miss Brown are aware, I attend Madame Isadora's dance classes three days each week, without ever missing even one day . . . well, not counting just recently, when her school had had to be temporarily closed within the aftermath of her Entity Possession. . . . _Anyhow_ , I don't think missing just one class will hurt anything much. And besides . . . right now, this is much more important. . . ."

Csilla's green eyes then began to twinkle with esteemed pride, as she silently marveled at how much at least _one_ of her pupils had already changed in such a short amount of time, whether or not it was yet realized to the young girl, herself.

_When Elyon and I had first met her, it would have taken the collective force of nearly the entire city's occupants to get Taranee to actively emerge from out of her shell, or to simply remain within the same room as us, for longer than a few minutes, before promptly excusing herself,_ she mused with a growing smile upon her face. _Now look at her. . . ._

". . . . You know, you are a pretty amazing, Taranee, do you know that?" Csilla complimented with extreme sincerity, softly beginning to chuckle upon catching sight of the now taken aback girl's instantly inflamed cheeks. "Yes, it's true. All of the work you'd helped me to accomplish today, and your willingness to do so on behalf of Elyon, who is so beside herself with worry over Will and her present state of being. . . . You are truly a good friend. . . ."

Taranee was absolutely at a loss for words in that moment, which was saying quite a bit, given her naturally vast intellect.

"I-I . . . I. . . ." was all she could muster up by way of response, no longer able to hold the shared gaze between the ever smiling Csilla and herself, as she then looked away. The only thing she could think of then was how lucky it was that Elyon hadn't also been present for such a scene, otherwise she didn't honestly believe she would be able to survive the extreme superfluity she currently felt.

"You're _welcome_ ," the Russian Blue feline politely said with an amused nod of her tiny head, taking note that clearly the young teenager's ongoing abashment had presently rendered her mute. And so, until such a time inevitably expired, Csilla then began to walk towards the sealed elevator doors before stating, with an almost beckoning wave of her tail, " _Now_ , then! Let's get a move on, shall we? You may be willing to miss your scheduled lesson for the sake of our team's overall goal, but I'm not willing to let you stay out too late, wandering the streets. Even as a Guardian Soldier, one must still always remain on her toes."

* * *

Taranee didn't think she'd ever felt this invigorated within her entire life before. Well, not quite like this, anyhow.

At least, _now_ , she could better understand why so many of her fellow pupils would at times break the rules and choose to go about doing their _own_ thing, on their own _time_.

It was quite riveting, in truth.

But then, as another truth, she technically wasn't violating any laws or other such extensive rule breaking.

This was for the sake of their slowly, but surely growing Guardian Soldier unit, after all . . . which was why she currently was within the middle of fooling the masses, by impersonating one of the random Garrick Plaza Hotel employees she had fleetingly taken a snapshot of, through the use of her enchanted, red-schemed gPhone.

Granted, it had been a _male_ employee, but an employee, nonetheless, who had just then left the building several minutes prior, when Taranee had hurriedly taken his photograph as discreetly as she could from her place in front of the many parking meters strung along the busy, downtown street right near the entrance.

The young, twenty-something, blonde haired and green-eyed man was evidently on his way to an early dinner, given that Taranee had managed to overhear just a miniscule bit of the brief conversation he'd stopped to have with one of the two, elderly looking doormen, who currently manned the front entrance to the grand, important hotel.

And based upon what she had gathered, the youthful gentleman would not be gone for too long, so if she wanted to get inside of the hotel, collect whatever sort of information that she could about wherever Will possibly could be at the moment, and _then_ get out before the man returned, _and_ received the shock of his life over seeing an unexpected doppelganger to himself lurking about the lobby, she would have to move fast.

_Csilla_ , meanwhile, had opted to stay behind, remaining across the way within the luscious park the large, white establishment continually oversaw.

" _Splitting our efforts_ _would_ _be best, I'd wager. Besides, while I may have been able to 'glamourize' what those working at the 'Musical Star Café' had seen, a much_ _smaller_ _locale, I might add, I highly doubt that I could quite successfully accomplish the same with such a vast constitution as_ _that_ _,"_ she had stated upon their arrival into downtown Heatherfield, around twenty minutes or so, after they had vacated the Guardian Soldiers' secret headquarters. _"Just be sure to remember to use your gPhone -_ _Discreetly_ _, please - before entering the building, and you should be fine. I will be right here if you should need me, however. Good luck!"_

_'Good luck,' indeed. Having to actually lie to Gillespie about my dance class being canceled when he'd arrived to pick me up, before then asking him to drop me off here without much explanation as to_ _why_ _had been hard enough for me as it was,_ Taranee thought with growing nerves, now that the initial exhilaration of the current situation was beginning to wear off. _So now, how in the world am I honestly meant to find out anything about Miss Vandom's present location,_ _without_ _raising too much attention to myself - Er, or to '_ _himself_ _,' rather? I-I mean . . . oh, forget it! If I'd managed to fool those doorkeepers at the front entrance just now by buying the excuse that 'I'd' forgotten something inside, then I'm sure that I can do this! . . . . I_ _hope_ _. . . ._

As the magically disguised Taranee walked further inside of the busy, monumental hotel, her newly turned green eyes widened within awe over the overall, interior design of the lobby. The entire room was schemed within the rich, earthy colors of either gold, tangerine or brown, with various pieces of rather expensive looking seating furniture adorning the main area.

Above, the rather high ceiling, uniquely arching at the sides, was painstakingly decorated with intricately designed renaissance, as well as motif-like crafts, while a pair of identically breathtaking chandeliers added a finishing touch with its resilient sparkle, almost resembling millions of twinkling stars within a clear night's sky.

_If the lobby looks this gorgeous, imagine how each_ _room_ _must be like_ , Taranee mused impressively, as she blindly began to take a couple more steps forward towards no place in particular as of yet. Even though her own family was a little more than just slightly well off, themselves, and thus had had the luxury of staying within hotels just as lovely throughout the years whenever on vacation, the undeniable beauty each décor possessed still never ceased to amaze her, nor to ignite her humbled appreciation.

"H-Hey! Back so soon, Rick? Lost your appetite, or something? I sure hope Felicia understands, given that this is, what? Your _third_ date you've missed out on, for _some_ reason or another. Poor gal," Taranee suddenly heard an unfamiliar, deep and mirthful male voice sound from in front of her, which promptly caused her to lower her foreign eyes away from the awe-inspiring ceiling, and onto the brunet newcomer in question.

_R-Rick? Is that what that guy's name is? Oh, gosh! What is_ _his_ _name, then, since the two seem to be companions? And 'Felicia?' Is that my - Er,_ _Rick's_ _girlfriend?_ Taranee frantically wondered to herself, clearly not expecting to be noticed by anyone inside so soon. _All right, Taranee . . . you can do this! You take on_ _much_ _more challenging things than this, like fighting powerful, otherworldly creatures on a near day to day basis, for example! This should be no trouble. . . ._

"I-I, er, um . . . _y-yeah_ , sure!" the female-hopefully- _temporarily_ -turned- _male_ regrettably heard her newfound male sounding voice squeak out with profound lameness, making her want to almost slap herself within the face right then and there for it.

_Well,_ _this_ _is going swimmingly_ , Taranee thought with a mental groan, especially upon catching the understandably perplexed expression now riddled upon 'her' fellow employee's face.

"Ummm . . . _oookay?_ Are you feeling all right, buddy? You kept saying all morning how you couldn't wait for your date, even though it had to be squeezed in during your shift, and about because how busy both you and Felicia have been you haven't been able to spend much time together, since you've both been working so much lately," the unknown young man revealed to Taranee, or rather, _reminded_ ' _Rick_ ' with a raised eyebrow, before carefully stuffing the both of his hands into the pants of the identical, dark gray colored uniform Taranee, herself, also magically adorned.

Taranee immediately nodded eagerly at this new piece of information, feeling thankful over how forthcoming the stranger was thus far being, making her job of winging it that much easier.

_Of course, all of this would be one thousand times easier, if only I could use my rather irksome clairvoyant gifts on_ _command_ , she thought with a small frown, before verbally responding to the still personally unidentified young man.

" _Right!_ No, of _course_ that's what I said . . . _pal!_ It's just that I'd . . . forgotten my _wallet!_ Of course! Nerves and all that, you know!" she'd somehow managed to force herself to lie yet again, the third time that day thus far, and three more occasions than she honestly had within a _month's_ time, if at all. "Can't have dinner without money, right? So, I'm just going to go get my wallet then! See you!"

And before the 'other man' could have said another word, Taranee gave a quick wave of goodbye, before immediately maneuvering around him and headed further down the lobby, towards the small line of silver elevators, sandwiched in between what looked to be two hotel check-in desks, and one Concierge Station set across the room from one another.

_'He must_ _really_ _be nervous over making it on time and not letting Felicia down again,'_ Taranee suddenly heard the young brunet's deep voice unexpectedly echo within her head as she continued on her way, which caused her to abruptly stop within her tracks and heave a tremendous sigh of aggravation.

". . . . Of _course_ it decides to activate itself _now_ , now that that _unbelievably_ awkward conversation is over. . . ." she softly muttered to herself within mild vexation in reflection to her still, quite unpredictable psychic abilities. "Still . . . I suppose now is as good a time as any to practice consciously using them, though. It _would_ speed things along. . . ."

And so, as much as it did still bother her some to have the thoughts of others within her mind, even if now she would attempt her hardest to control _when_ and for how _long_ this time, Taranee cautiously made her way towards the concierge area on the right hand side of the lobby.

She figured that if anyone would potentially know anything about any sort of goings on behind the scenes concerning Will's owned hotel, it would most probably be those particular caretakers.

_But, first, I should probably drop this disguise, shouldn't I, since it's already garnered so much unwanted attention_ , the cloaked, studious young woman pondered within affliction, as she made her way closer to the fairly busy, gold marble front desk, where a presently lone, middle aged woman, who was tall, although also a bit portly looking, stood with stoic precision.

Her uniform was distinctly different from a few of the other, primarily grayish colored forms of attire Taranee had seen several of Will's busy hotel staff scurrying around within. Instead, it was entirely black, with the woman's torso carrying a smart blazer with gold buttons, which concealed the contrasting white colored dress shirt and canary tie underneath. And as she got a little bit closer, Taranee could also see that the clearly authoritative woman wore matching black dress pants, and that her auburn tinted hair was pulled straight back into a mercilessly tight bun.

Admittedly, seeing the female concierge's rather stern face made the undercover Guardian Soldier want to rethink her next course of action, and wondered how any of the establishment's guests, past or present, could have ever gone to this woman for various pieces of information.

Shaking her masculine, blonde colored head, as though to jimmy those hesitant thoughts away, Taranee then slowly reached into her uniform pant's pocket for her safeguarded gPhone, in order to take a new picture of another random individual, when the possible tyrant in question immediately spotted her.

"Evidently your little rendezvous was not as urgent as you had painted it to be earlier today, Mister Baker," the woman said, rather uninterestedly, in spite of the deeply hardened gaze she then awarded to the surprised, glamoured young woman which told otherwise. "Am I to assume, then, that I can count on you, _after_ all, to assist within final preparations for tomorrow's environmental fundraiser, or would you like more time?"

_I just_ _had_ _to pick an individual who seems to be quite the popular one around here_ , Taranee thought to herself with a nervous exhale, releasing her former hold upon her gPhone, just as the older woman in charge left her post from behind the currently relaxed desk area and approached her.

"Oh! U-Um, the _fundraiser!_ I wish I could help, but . . . like I'd told you, I have that dinner date to get to! I'm only back for my wallet! _Forgot_ it! N-Nice talking with you, ma'am!" Taranee stammered for the second time since her arrival to the rather prosperous hotel, before attempting to flee the scene, heading towards the lobby bathrooms she'd just then spotted within the not too far distance over the leering woman's head.

_''_ _Ma'am?_ _' Since when is_ _he_ _one for respect? Usually, he just always refers to me as '_ _Carli,_ _' instead of_ _my_ _full_ _name, '_ _Carlita._ _' He could, at the very least, get that right, if he refuses to try calling me by my_ _last_ _name, as I do for him,'_ Taranee blinked in surprise as her telepathic abilities once again kicked in, this time making her privy to this particular individual's thoughts.

" _Carli!_ Right, okay! See you later, _Carli!_ " Taranee quickly attempted to amend herself, or ' _Rick_ ,' rather, as she whirled around to face the evidently boggled woman. She was beginning to feel increasingly sorry for the _real_ Rick, once he'd returned to work and was undoubtedly met with the barrage of flabbergasted inquiries his co-workers would hurl his way regarding his bizarre behavior.

_Sorry about that, Rick_ , the otherwise intellectual young girl silently apologized, fleetingly lamenting that her psychic, so called talents did not seem to be a _two way_ street, so that the young man could hear _her_ thoughts in that moment.

"W-Where are you _going_ , Mister Baker? The employee lockers are within the _basement_ area, or did you foolishly leave your wallet within the _Men's Room,_ instead?" the woman unknowingly having revealed herself to be name Carlita heatedly asked, the confusion she felt over her co-worker's curious behavior clearly reflecting upon her lightly freckled face, as Taranee continually gazed back at her. "I've no _time_ for this! Either go retrieve your belongings and return to your little outing, or remain _here_ and help Miss Johnson and some of the other hotel managers complete their prepping of the hotel's courtyard for tomorrow's venue!"

With that, Carlita abruptly turned on her heel, a bit too unseemly, she must have felt, for she momentarily stopped herself, in order to smooth down the front of her ebony colored blazer and gently tuck at its sides, before resuming her now, slow paced walk back to her station.

_. . . ._ _That_ _was close. . . . Hmm . . . but wait a moment. . . . She had earlier mentioned something about a fundraiser being held here tomorrow, and again just now. Surely, that should be something Miss Vandom, herself, might be personally involved within_ , Taranee began to mentally deduce, before hurriedly ducking behind a large, nearby pillar to the side of the Concierge's Station. _But I don't think I'll take a chance at_ _verbally_ _inquiring about it, just in case, not unless I want the poor man I'm horribly impersonating to get_ _fired_ _. . . ._

And so, with a fairly deep, concentrated inhale, then exhale, Taranee slowly closed her eyes as she then began to focus all of her mental attention onto the demanding and authoritative woman.

Almost immediately did a slew of foreign thoughts savagely bombard the young girl's mind, as she'd had a feeling might happen. It at least had upon the last two evenings she had attempted her newfound, self-appointed clairvoyant exercises, during which time she had attempted to focus solely upon the thoughts of her _mother_ , but instead found herself effortlessly being infiltrated by the mental renderings of what sounded to be that of her next door neighbors.

When this had occurred not once, but _twice_ , Taranee had admittedly thrown in the towel for the time being, feeling that perhaps she was simply way in over her head about her chosen methods. However, _now_ , after quite the emotionally revealing afternoon she'd thus far experienced, she wasn't so sure she would be so willing to give in as easily . . . no matter _how_ intimidating her telepathic abilities honestly were.

And so, with a deepening scowl, as she willed herself to push past the unwanted, miscellaneous thoughts of presumably all those presently around her, Taranee nearly gasped and broke her newly reinforced concentration the very moment she could hear nothing . . . nothing but _one voice_ , that is.

_Carlita's_.

_'. . . . I certainly hope the nice weather expected for the weekend will keep, otherwise our 'Nature's One Hope Fundraiser' will be an absolute_ _washout_ _,'_ the serious woman unknowingly sounded within Taranee's head, evidently not being _as_ serious where her thoughts were concerned, given her lightly humorous tone and obvious pun. _'. . . . I_ _do_ _wonder if Miss Vandom will be attending, though. I do not believe that I have not seen her enter_ _nor_ _exit the hotel's premises for days now . . . at least, she hasn't seemed to leave her_ _Junior Suite_ _, anyway, based upon the sudden lack of housekeeping rotations being recorded for her room, according to Miss Johnson. . . . I wonder what's gotten into her so suddenly - Well, not that she had ever been quite the social butterfly ever since she'd first moved into the hotel, but still. . . .'_

With a sharp gasp, this time allowing herself to do so, Taranee's temporarily green eyes flew straight open upon having finished her mental eavesdropping upon the unsuspecting, middle aged woman, and, without hesitation, immediately rushed towards the nearby restrooms in order to privately revert back to her God-given form.

_So, she_ _does_ _make her presence known to this particular hotel, like Csilla and I had thought! Evidently, she even_ _lives_ _here, as well!_ the now thoroughly excited Taranee thought, feeling quite pleased with herself, both for having finally seemed to solve the mystery of Will's previously unknown whereabouts, in addition to achieving a milestone, where her clairvoyant abilities were concerned.

She was _so_ enthralled with her personal triumph, in fact, that she hadn't honestly realized that she had chosen the thankfully _empty_ Men's Room (which, technically speaking, given her present physical state, did make a bit of sense), until _after_ she'd re-emerged from her chosen stall, upon returning back to normal after magically concentrating for a few moments in order to do so.

For it was right then that her returned brown eyes met with the utterly flabbergasted blue of the brunet, unnamed companion of the blonde haired man she had been pretending to be up until that point.

"O-Oh! _Sorry_ about that! I-I –!" the French-braided girl promptly trailed off, as the dual realization set in that not only had she already seen this particular man before, but she was seeing him again within a setting she had absolutely no business ever being within.

Taranee immediately wished that she could rush back into the empty stall behind her and reactivate her former disguise to hide behind, _or_ to simply hide within the stall, itself, altogether.

". . . . U-Um . . . this . . . _is_ the Men's Room . . . right?" the brown haired hotel employee softly murmured, more so to himself than to the now absolutely mortified Taranee, who promptly nodded within agreement.

"Y-Yes! Of _course!_ Silly me! I . . . I g-guess it's time for a new prescription for _me!_ W-Well, excuse me, sir!" she somehow managed to cover, smiling sheepishly as she reached up to tap at the newly returned eyeglasses upon her face in reference, before swiftly maneuvering around the taken aback young man and vacated the area.

Taranee let out a loud exhale, which was really more so a cross between a sigh, and a squeaking sort of scream upon exiting back into freedom, clutching her head with the both of her hands before shaking it back and forth within disbelief.

"Oh, my _God_ . . . I don't think I'll _ever_ be able to forget about this day for as long as I live," she whispered heatedly to herself, still remaining off to one side in front of the recently escaped Men's Room.

The only thing she could honestly count her blessings over, in regards to that nightmarish incident, was that there hadn't been any _other_ males to come into or out of the restroom to also bear witness to her social travesty.

_Lesson learned, and applied: I am_ _never_ _choosing another_ _male_ _as my glamouring disguise ever again_ , the Guardian Soldier of Mars dryly reflected silently as a final thought upon the unadventurous stunt, before slowly beginning to gather her composure, as she refocused upon the grander, far more important situation at hand. _Now_ _to find Miss Vandom's hotel room . . . which should most likely be at the very top of the hotel or close to, being a Junior Suite. I just hope that she'll be there,_ _and_ _willing to hear me out. . . ._

* * *

It was certainly a good thing that Will had had enough presence of mind to have gone grocery shopping not too long ago, or else she probably would have _starved_ by now. There _was_ room service, naturally, but seeing as that would have involved having to directly interact with another human being, that was most definitely out of the question.

As far as she was concerned, if she never encountered another living person again, she would be just fine with that . . . and after the trying and further life-altering evening she had experienced just three days ago, she highly doubted she could be found at fault for that.

". . . . I never asked for _any_ of this to happen to me . . . for this entire freaking _life_ to happen to me," the brooding, admittedly cowering redhead muttered to herself from where she lay, flat upon her back within her dimly lit living room of her Junior Suite.

Will slowly raised her right, slender hand up to her face and stared, almost vacantly, upon it, before beginning to lightly trace a small circle upon the ring digit with her left index finger. Then, she carelessly dropped both appendages back at her sides before lethargically tilting her fiery red head to the right, where her presently glazed over brown eyes looked towards her computer desk across the way . . . or, more specifically, _underneath_ her computer desk.

For there, resting crookedly off to one side from where it had landed days earlier was the illustrious, yet frightening silver ring, which had been inexplicably bestowed onto her by the equally inexplicably speaking Russian Blue feline . . . Csilla.

_Elyon Brown's_ cat. . . .

Will's formerly neutral countenance then began to scrunch up, into an expression filled with a multitude of increasingly unchecked emotions over the specific evening she had been doing her absolute best to forget about altogether.

She felt afraid.

She felt _angry_.

But mostly, she felt _confused_.

Confused as to why it had to be _her_ . . . why _she_ had to have been chosen to be a . . . what had Csilla called it?

A ' _Guardian Soldier_.'

That's right.

And now, she was just expected to take the helm as the one known as 'Sailorjupiter,' where she would then have to spend every waking moment, of every single _day_ and for God only _knew_ how long, protecting the innocent, and battling against more nightmarish creatures like the one she had barely survived against that night. . . .

"No, thank you," Will whispered harshly to herself with a small shiver, realizing just how much of a coward she both sounded and was acting like, the way she had just turned tail, run off from Elyon and her friend, before having decidedly begun to effectively camp out within her living quarters for days on end.

But, in all honesty, she didn't rightly care.

True, she had gone up against _greater_ hardships, she supposed, and had somehow managed to make it out on the other end. And she had done it without minimal, to no complaint.

But this, _this_ was a completely different ballpark, a _supernatural_ ballpark, at that.

Now this was simply asking far too much of her.

Something _had_ to give. . . .

As Will was about to roll onto her side, freeing herself from the enchanted ring's persistent glare, if only temporarily, there was a sudden knock upon her door, causing her to nearly fall off of her couch, altogether.

". . . . W-Who _is_ it?" the redhead managed to croak out within inquiry, it being the very first time within days where she had bothered to raise her voice any higher than a soft, murmuring whisper.

Who _could_ it be?

The last individual who had attempted to come bother her had been one of the revolving housekeeping employees around two days ago, before Will had then promptly exercised the use of her 'Do Not Disturb' sign to the fullest extent of her power, thereafter.

If she _ever_ left her hotel room again, she would have to remember to leave a note at the front desk, explicitly requesting ceased hotel services of _any_ kind, until she personally indicated, otherwise. . . .

Will was honestly about to search for a paper and pen to begin drafting up the letter right then and there, when a soft, unsure sounding and female voice permeated through the sealed, dual entrance and exit, and then wafted into the room before she could.

". . . . I-It's me . . . Taranee Cook. I am . . . uh . . . an associate of Miss Brown's? We'd met the other day in front of the 'Musical Star Café,' i-if you can recall," said the disembodied voice who'd then revealed herself, seemingly struggling, quite difficultly, to find the right words to say, as though afraid that anything less would possibly ensue a riot of sorts.

And with good reason.

Will just then remembered Elyon's friend's name.

". . . . I don't know how you found me, but I don't _care!_ Just leave me _alone!_ I'd already told all of you my position about . . . _that_ ," she hissed with a generous, resentful frown formulating upon her naturally tanned complexion.

She was about to let that be the end of the matter, when a sudden, new thought then occurred to her.

Turning away from the front door, Will quickly moved over to her computer desk, crouched down, and tentatively retrieved the Jupiter-symbolized ring.

She'd never again wanted to touch that piece of . . . _cursed_ jewelry, and her deepened scowl and now wrinkled up nose effortlessly reflected that. But seeing as she was suddenly being presented with the presumably rare opportunity to be rid of both it _and_ the individuals who wanted so desperately for her to hold onto it, then far be it for her to pass it up.

Will did her honest best to block out the eerie, yet oddly comforting sort of warm sensation the ring seemed to be bestowing onto her right hand, which was currently clenched firmly around it, as she made her way to the main door of her Junior Suite and quickly swung it open.

" _Here!_ Take -!" the tall, red haired tomboy began hotly, before abruptly cutting herself off upon locking eyes with the understandably startled Taranee.

But it wasn't that sight which made Will stop herself.

It was the undeniable concern and . . . _compassion_ shining forth from them.

Concern and compassion for _her_. . . .

_She's just like Elyon. . . ._ Will thought within relative reflection, slowly lowering her clenched right appendage to her side, as she then also lowered her gaze away from the French-braided girl standing before her.

Hesitating a moment, Will softly cleared her throat before awkwardly stating, ". . . . You can come inside . . . for a _little_ while, at least. . . ."

Maybe she was now allowing the still pretty unfamiliar girl entry into her domain because she felt a bit sorry for her, having come all that way to speak with her before having previously been turned away.

_Or_ , the more likely reason (which she wasn't in any sort of rush to openly admit to herself), maybe it was because she merely wanted the sudden company.

_Whatever_ the true reason, there Will now was, closing her abode's front door after the both of them, and preparing to entertain her very first guest since she'd moved into the suite . . . her first guest in quite a long time, _period_ , actually. . . .

_It doesn't matter. I'm just going to give her five minutes to say whatever it is she came here to say, then send her back on her way,_ _with_ _this stupid ring_ , she thought with a determined resolve, slowly unfurling her right hand to reveal the piece of jewelry in question, which still continued to queerly emit its tepid ambiance, as it rested upon her smooth palm.

". . . . Want something to drink?" Will suddenly heard herself ask within offering to the timid looking girl standing rather stiffly before her, surprising the both of them as a result.

_What the hell is_ _wrong_ _with me? Now I'm suddenly willing to play proper hostess to this girl, too? I must_ _really_ _be losing it,_ she silently taunted herself, catching sight of the blatantly taken aback expression upon Taranee's face.

She, too, seemed to be silently grappling with her own thoughts and emotions just then, as she paused for a few moments, biting down onto her naturally pouted lip before finally responding.

"O-Oh, um . . . if you don't mind, then . . . t-thank you," the raven haired girl quietly replied with a faint smile of polite acceptance, awkwardly clasping her slender hands together in front of her as she patiently waited.

Seeing this, Will lightly gave a small scoff before she then couldn't help but to smirk momentarily.

"You don't have to just _stand_ around like that the entire time, you know . . . you _can_ go take a seat anywhere you want in the living room there behind you," she calmly instructed with a quick wave of her left, free hand within indication, before stepping around the now blushing Taranee in order to head into the adjacent kitchen.

"R-Right! Of _course!_ " the blatantly shy girl said with a firm nod of compliance, before slowly moving further into the redhead's private domicile. "You . . . have a lovely home, by the way. . . ."

Will, who was then hunched over in front of the fully stocked, medium sized refrigerator, lightly stiffened a bit upon hearing the honest compliment.

". . . . Yeah . . . if you can even _call_ it that," she muttered underneath her breath with a small, momentary frown, before reaching into the cool fridge to retrieve two chilled, unopened bottles of spring water, both at the same time with just her left hand, as she had yet to realize that she was still holding onto (and a bit possessively now, at that) her Guardian Soldier transformation ring with her right.

It wasn't until she'd had to close the refrigerator door with one of her bare feet that Will had at last taken notice of this, and let out a rather annoyed exhale as she did so.

". . . . D-Do you need some assistance, Miss Vandom?" Taranee tentatively asked upon hearing the other girl's struggle from behind, before then beginning to turn within her chosen, single seat which faced away from the kitchen.

" _No_ , I don't need any assistance, Taranee . . . not for _this_ , anyway," Will flatly responded, frowning deeply at the ring of Jupiter still within her hand, before she finally released it from her unintended, prolonged grasp, and once again carelessly tossed it aside, this time onto her kitchen counter.

Taranee, who did appear to observe the act, said nothing about it, as she instead turned back around within her seat and politely took the bottle of cold water Will had then extended out to her upon approaching.

"Thank you. . . ." she said quietly, before then simply cradling the bottle within her hands as she propped it gently upon the slate gray and plaid skirt of what appeared to be her school uniform. Will, meanwhile, promptly snapped open her own bottled beverage and took a healthy swig of the clear liquid, as she sat back down onto her couch.

She hadn't honestly realized just how thirsty she was until after she'd offered up the drink to Taranee in the first place, and if the girl hadn't come at all, Will didn't realistically believe that she would have realized any time _soon_ , either.

_Time sure does fly when you're busy thinking about how much your life truly_ _sucks_ , the redhead thought with embittered sarcasm, upon taking another, long sip of her water, brown eyes silently observing the studious looking girl at her right side.

The two of them certainly seemed to resemble that of night and day right then, where appearances were concerned, at least. With Taranee's neatly done French Braid, elegant eyeglasses, smoothly ironed academic uniform and polished shoes to match, Will presently looked as though she belonged out onto the _streets_ by comparison.

Since she hadn't bothered to return to her _own_ school for the remainder of that week, not quite yet feeling anywhere close to ready to re-immersing herself within human society, Will hadn't seen any reason to actively groom herself, and, as a result, her at times unruly Bob-styled hair had become all the _more_ unruly, her usually wrinkled frog decorated night shirt and shorts had become that much _more_ wrinkly, and her normally sheltered feet were now becoming increasingly soiled underneath.

In summation, Will now looked every bit of a mess _outside_ as she continually felt on the _inside_.

And now that she had stopped moving around long enough to be properly looked upon, Taranee seemed as though she was now thinking along the same lines, herself, as she then teetered between wanting to hold the redhead's gaze and also wanting to break it, as though afraid that her eyes would somehow betray her.

But they already had, from the very moment the young girl walked through Will's door. . . .

_I don't know whether to laugh or scream at this girl's ongoing sympathy_ , the guarded teenager acridly thought, before setting down her already half empty bottle of water onto the coffee table before both girls. _I don't need nor_ _want_ _her pity. . . ._

"B-But I'm not _trying_ to pity you!" Taranee unexpectedly blurted out before she could perhaps stop herself, causing both females to gasp within alarm at this and for her unopened beverage to fall onto the floor by her feet. "T-That is, I, er -"

"- _What_ did you just say?" Will pressed within inquiry, brown eyes now watching the now stammering girl like a hawk, as they immediately drained themselves of their previous, deadened luster, and flooded with a mixture of anxiousness, as well as intrigue.

"I didn't say _anything!_ W-Well, that is, I didn't say whatever it is you _think_ I'd just said . . . because I really _didn't!_ " Taranee attempted to lie within a fruitless effort, waving one hand into the air within dismissal, while blindly bending over to retrieve the temporarily discarded bottle with the other.

Evidently, misleading others did not seem to be the girl's strong suit.

Will shook her disheveled head, and frowned deeply.

" _Nooo_ . . . don't give me that. I'm pretty _positive_ you just said that you 'don't pity me,' like I'd just _told_ you _not_ to or something . . . which I did . . . but not _aloud_ ," she revealed within avid suspicion, placing great emphasis upon her final word.

This only seemed to unravel Taranee all the more, as she couldn't even seem to be able to place her bottle of water onto the coffee table, her hand was that shaky.

When she saw that the other girl wasn't in any sort of rush to respond, Will, swiftly reaching out to seize Taranee's fumbling hand with the both of her own in order to properly steady it, heatedly asked, " _What_ is going _on_ , Taranee? How did you know what I was just thinking? Is it . . . is it some sort of _freakish_ side effect I'm now experiencing to having transformed into . . . ' _Sailorjupiter_ ' that night? Am I now unwittingly able to project my thoughts into the minds of _others_ , or something? Because that is the _last_ thing I need right now! Things are crazy _enough_ in there for just _myself_ to handle, let alone an entire _city!_ "

Will was well aware of how foolish she sounded in that moment, and on any other given day, she would have deemed herself potentially certifiable to having said such a thing. But given that the new world she had recently been thrust into was rather certifiable, _itself_ , it was quite acceptable now.

_Plus, with the added bonus of now suddenly being able to send my thoughts to others, who could_ _blame_ _me?_ she mused before she could stop herself, before silently cursing at herself as she sheepishly gazed upon a still visibly shaken Taranee.

". . . . You didn't just hear _that_ one, did you?" Will questioned aloud, slowly pulling her hands away from a greatly abashed Taranee, who thankfully shook her head in response. "Oh, thank _God_. . . . Well, _wait_ . . . why is it that you could hear my _first_ thought, but not the one I just had now? _Ow_ , my freaking head. . . ."

Biting down onto her lip, apparently more so to muddle the small, but growing smile which then began to form onto her face, than within a few collective thoughts of her own, Taranee softly stated, "W-Well . . . I suppose it's because I've admittedly not yet mastered my . . . Clairvoyance?"

Will stared blankly at the shorter girl adjacent to her at this.

". . . . Your . . . _Clairvoyance?_ Wait . . . _your_ clairvoyance? As in, it isn't _me_ who's suddenly the one who can do all sorts of mind-reading tricks?" she asked within momentary surprise, before promptly slouching back against the couch with a great sigh of relief. That is, until the other girl's previous words sunk in a bit more properly. "Hold on . . . you mean to tell me, then, that . . . you . . . that is . . . you're a _Psychic?_ "

Taranee looked upon Will as though she had suddenly grown a second head, seeming to be unsure of precisely how to gauge her reaction to a normally uncommon and unbelievable truth . . . which, of course, the redhead probably would _not_ have been willing to believe, even _now_ , after all that she had recently been through, had it not been for the pair's brief mental connection just moments before.

". . . . Yes, Miss Vandom . . . although I don't believe I've ever honestly actively given myself that label before, personally, in all of the years that I've been aware of said ability," the raven haired girl timidly announced, softly ringing her slightly moist hands together within her lap.

Will raised an eyebrow within curiosity at this.

"' _Years?_ ' So . . . what, you're telling me that it _wasn't_ some side effect to your being a . . . a _Guardian Soldier_ , yourself?" she asked, her mind then beginning to visualize the shy girl's alter-ego of Sailormars, whom she had met only fleetingly the other night.

Tilting her neatly combed head to the side a moment, Taranee then slowly lowered her brown eyes within obvious discomfort.

". . . . Truth be told, I hadn't honestly intended upon sharing this with you once I'd arrived here . . . well, at least, not _yet_ , perhaps," she began quietly, nervously shifting within her seat, "but no . . . it _isn't_ a 'side effect' to having become a Guardian Soldier, although I can perfectly understand how or why you would think so, both aspects being quite the supernatural feats, after all. . . . Y-You see . . . for as long as I can recall, I've simply always been able to . . . I guess sort of _sense_ things on and off. . . . You know, if something were about to happen, then I've just always been able to know about it before anyone else . . . just like I've also always been able to know what other people are thinking, as apologetically demonstrated to you just now, as well. . . . Between the two abilities, _this_ one has always been the more troublesome one for me. . . ."

"Yeah . . . I'll _bet_ ," Will remarked within honest sincerity, her relaxing nature seeming to not have gone unnoticed by Taranee, whose own demeanor gradually became much more lax, as well. Her facial expression had also appeared to free itself from the emotional bonds of unsettling woe, most likely over whether or not the redhead would at _least_ be receptive to her admission, if not fully accepting.

"Y-Yes. . . ." Taranee said with a small nod, willing herself to chance another, quick glance within Will's continually attentive direction, before returning her gaze back onto her now dry hands. "It isn't honestly all that simple, really . . . I mean, even though I've had this ability for the longest time now, it hasn't meant that I've been able to control, let alone fully _understand_ it. . . . That's why I truly _am_ sorry for intruding upon your thoughts like that, Miss Vandom . . . it just suddenly happened, much like it _usually_ does, on its own. . . . But, at least now, it seems, with Csilla's guidance and support, I just might soon be able to -"

"- So then that ability of yours really _does_ stem from being a Guardian Soldier," Will suddenly interrupted with a small frown and folding of her partially bare arms, the moment the mystical feline's name was mentioned.

At this, Taranee looked up within undeniable surprise, raising both of her smoothly waxed, dark eyebrows for a moment before speaking once more.

"Hmm? Oh, well . . . I suppose that that _could_ be true . . . but then I suppose it _couldn't_ be, as well," she partially revealed with a bit of cryptic unwillingness, which only served to further muddle Will's new train of thought.

"What does that even _mean?_ " the redhead voiced within naturally confused inquiry, reaching up to lightly rub at her right temple.

Seeing this, as though the act was one she, herself, had done within relation to the same matter, Taranee softly smiled at the other girl within a mixture of ongoing shyness, as well as sympathy . . . for _this_ regard, at least.

"I wholeheartedly understand how very perplexing all of this - And I _do_ mean _all_ of this is for you, Miss Vandom," she started with a nod of her French-braided head for added emphasis, "and I definitely don't pretend to fully grasp its true nature, myself, but . . . according to Csilla, my being Sailormars, and having these psychic abilities, isn't entirely that surprising to her to have learned after I'd had shared this information with both she and Miss Brown not too long ago. . . ."

Will couldn't help but to roll her eyes at this, aware of how increasingly rude her overall behavior was becoming.

"Right. And you bought into it?" she asked with an incredulous air, now leaning forward within her seat and taking on a hunched over position. "What I mean is, you're telling me that that _cat_ said that to you, _after_ you'd willingly revealed this unusual . . . _talent_ , I guess, to her? She probably only said that _just_ so you'd be all the _more_ willing to be the Guardian Soldier _all_ of you so desperately want _me_ to be. . . ."

It was now Taranee's turn to scowl a bit, as she paused for a moment, as though silently wondering if perhaps Will's viewpoint did not bear any sort of validity to it.

". . . . I guess I can see your stance upon the matter . . . and if I were in your shoes I would probably attempt to deduce the same sort of logic . . . but I'm _not_ you. . . . The fact of the matter is, this . . . _gift_ of mine was something I was evidently _born_ with, obviously _long_ before both Csilla, _and_ Miss Brown had come into my life, as well, and changed it forever by informing me of my role as a Guardian Soldier," she explained, a bit indignantly, clearly not having been expecting to have to defend the abilities which she, herself, openly admitted to not being all too confident, or even super fond of.

This made Will briefly wonder the sort of reaction _Elyon_ had had once she had finished listening to the undoubtedly mirrored tale of the reserved girl. Judging by Taranee's current display, coupled by what the redhead relatively knew about the petite blonde, Elyon had most likely automatically accepted all of it, before then eagerly offering up her unwavering support.

_. . . . Like she had tried to do for_ _me_ , Will thought with a bit of filtered in guilt, before promptly mentally waving it away from her mind, lest it consume her, or, _worse_ yet, Taranee telepathically caught wind of it.

She didn't seem to, however, as she then merely cleared her throat, before reaching out for her momentarily forgotten bottle of water and at last deciding to open it. As she did so, Will decided to then take it upon herself to resume the helm of the rather bizarre conversation.

"Look . . . I'm sorry if I've offended you, Taranee," she said lightly, sliding back her arms onto her slight, stubbly legs, which caused her face to grow a bit warm, as she then realized that she also hadn't bothered to _shave_ within the last few days, either. " _A-Anyway_ . . . all I was trying to say was that, maybe because you've evidently been so confused about how you've received your abilities and _why_ , you might have been all too willing to receive _anything_ as an actual explanation for it, _including_ your having been chosen as a Guardian Soldier. . . ."

Slowly lowering the modestly drained water bottle away from her lips before recapping it, Taranee set it back down onto the coffee table as she spoke, "I . . . suppose that that's also a valid observation, as well. . . . And, in furthered truth, Csilla hadn't revealed anything more about it, the relation between my clairvoyant traits and being Sailormars, either, even _after_ I had asked her to. . . . She hasn't honestly revealed all that much about _anything_ related to us all and of our newfound roles as Guardian Soldiers, except that, besides having to protect the planet from a currently unknown evil, our _true_ mission is to locate our lost princess, whom we are _also_ meant to safeguard. . . ."

Upon listening to this, Will couldn't help but to immediately begin laughing, even though she knew that it would most likely come off as being rather insensitive within the eyes of the other girl. Surprisingly, however, Taranee softly began to chuckle, _herself_ , evidently finding the topic to be rather comical, as well.

"Y-Yes, I guess it really _does_ sound pretty far fetched, doesn't it? . . . . Did I _also_ mention that we're currently in the middle of tracking down a treasured jewel of sorts, as well, called the 'Mystical Star of Threbe' - Which apparently belongs to the Princess - and is coveted by the very unidentifiable evil we are meant to thwart?" she further disclosed with a growing smile as she began to calm down, while _Will,_ meanwhile, continued on within her own glee.

"' _Mystical Star of Threbe?_ ' A ' _Lost Princess,_ ' who evidently needs to be placed within the 'Witness Protection Program,' against some villainous person you, me, and Elyon are supposed to take down? That's _definitely_ a lot to process," she said in between mocking giggles, although the sudden laughter was managing to make her feel a little better about the overall situation at the same time . . . even _if_ it still seemed a bit too asinine for her liking.

Taranee said nothing to this, and merely continued to smile gently towards the chuckling redhead, as she instead allowed her to finish within doing so and eventually calm down. Will did manage to do precisely that within the next few moments, before allowing the sudden silence which followed thereafter to settle onto the pair.

Surprisingly, however, it had been one filled with an odd sort of comfort for the two of them, it seemed, as an undeniable feeling of mutual, unspoken understanding then began to creep into the atmosphere, as well.

". . . . You know, I'm honestly surprised that Csilla didn't come _with_ you, although I guess that'd be sort of difficult, since the hotel doesn't allow pets . . . _thankfully_ ," Will, the first one to speak again, remarked with a faint smile several moments later, reaching up to run a hand through her short red hair, which proved to be a tad difficult in that moment, given the onslaught of tangled strands scattered about her head.

Taranee, whose shyness curiously seemed to then return upon listening to the girl's comment, bit down onto her lip before responding.

"Well, _actually_ . . . Csilla _did_ come along with me . . . although she's presumably still where I'd left her, across the street from here within that park where . . . well, _you_ know," she tentatively revealed, obviously not wishing to actively bring up that particular night any more than Will wished to _hear_ about it. "That's actually how we - _I_ ended up finding you, you see. Well, one of _many_ aided attempts, which I don't personally care to get into, if you don't mind. . . . But, suffice it to say that when Csilla realized that she was unable to sense your whereabouts, I suppose within the same way that she is able to for either Miss Brown or myself, we had all naturally begun to worry . . . although none more so than Miss Brown, I have to say. . . ."

Will, who had been busy looking down at her bare, and shamefully dirty feet up until that point, slowly looked up at the informative girl beside her within surprise.

At first, it had been in regards to the comment over Csilla's curious inability to locate her (which certainly now added better explanation as to why she hadn't been harassed by the enchanted being, _or_ her apparent pupils days _sooner_ ), making her wonder if it was a feat Will, herself, was personally able to do consciously . . . which, of course, if it turned out to be the case, then it would be a new talent she would be utilizing on a daily basis from that moment on.

_Then_ her mind shifted onto the second half of Taranee's spiel, about Elyon's evidently avid concern for her overall well being . . . which then, of course, also effortlessly caused her to unwillingly welcome back her unwanted sense of guilt as a result.

". . . . She's worried about me? _Elyon_ , that is?" Will quietly asked, feeling herself gently beginning to blush once more.

Taranee nodded with a curiously saddened smile.

"She is, yes . . . and _has_ been for days, as she'd just revealed to both Csilla and myself earlier this afternoon," she said slowly, as though wondering whether or not she should reveal something so personal. "She told us how it has been absolute agony, not knowing where you've been, and whether or not you're all right, both physically . . . as _well_ as emotionally. . . ."

The French-braided, respectful girl paused a moment, apparently expecting Will to say something to this new piece of information; however, when it was clear that the redhead intended to do nothing of the sort, she then pressed on.

". . . . Evidently, you'd stopped going to the school you both attend, as well, which only served to add to Miss Brown's added woe," Taranee continued with a soft exhale, making it clear to the crimson haired teenager that she seemed to be just as concerned for Elyon, as _Elyon_ evidently had been for _Will_. "And since you'd also never given her your home address or telephone number, at the very least, it's been all she could do to keep herself from losing it, entirely. . . ."

". . . . So, then . . . how were _you_ able to find me, after all, with that being the case, coupled with Csilla's . . . _I_ don't know . . . magical ' _LoJack'_ having been on the fritz?" Will hesitantly inquired, almost afraid to learn the answer, as there was only one of two possibilities remaining . . . and unless Taranee had miraculously managed to seize better control over her own sensing abilities, as she'd openly expressed her desire over, then someone within the legal system was resentfully sleeping on the job. . . .

Seeming to have then taken notice of Will's abrupt shift within demeanor, Taranee did her best to then present her with as comforting a smile as she could manage.

"Well . . . after Miss Brown had decidedly gone home within honest defeat, much to our dismay, Csilla and I had then set about trying to figure out a way to effectively get in touch with you," she said, beginning to absentmindedly twiddle her slender fingers within her lap, as though her unfolding synopsis was making her feel uneasy (which was something Will could have honestly laughed at, once more, if she, _too_ , wasn't currently feeling every bit as uncomfortable, herself). "Being that this is _the_ 'Information Age,' where nearly any and all types of content is readily available at our fingertips, I'd suggested to Csilla that perhaps we should try to find your home address online . . . although I _had_ mainly suggested this particular method of locating it because I . . . well, I had felt fairly certain that I had heard your last name somewhere before, well before you and I had met. . . ."

And there it was.

Will was honestly beginning to wonder when she would eventually meet someone within this new city, who would pose the question of whether or not she was by chance related to the same 'Vandoms' whose ancestor helped create the legacy both girls were now currently seated within.

She was admittedly surprised that so far the only sort of attention she'd seemed to be drawing to herself, by way of unwanted fame, was tied to her tragic past concerning _Ophelia_. . . .

". . . . I guess the _rest_ of my 'dirty little secret' is out now, then," Will murmured within a vain attempt to present a comedic twist upon a topic which was normally anything _but_ funny. "Both my father and grandfather had been quite the little business geniuses, resulting within the hotel you see before you . . . one of _only_ about a _trillion_ within the country, and _other_ areas I don't honestly care to recall. And now, due to _both_ men's passing, every last one of them now belongs to _me_ , alongside an added array of _other_ financial assets I couldn't care even _less_ about. . . ."

No longer able to sit still, Will immediately rose to her feet and headed towards her vast living room window and balcony, suddenly feeling every bit as naked as she had during her unexpected breakdown the other evening.

She could only hope that she wouldn't experience yet _another_ one within the next few moments, especially now that the focus had once again been returned onto her profoundly dysfunctional family. . . .

_It seems as though no matter_ _how_ _hard I keep trying to outrun my past, I never can get any farther away from it_ , Will thought with a heavy sigh and deeply furrowed brow, now beginning to feel absolutely drained of energy.

". . . . I-It _is_ a rather remarkable turn of events . . . _everything_ , actually," she could hear Taranee quietly comment from behind her, seeming a bit unsure of her words. "I'm sure you don't honestly wish to discuss any of it once more, which is absolutely understandable, as I, myself, keep reflecting upon how if it were instead _me_ to have lived such a life, I do not think I'd honestly be able to. . . . B-But . . . for what it's worth, and forgive me if it sounds rather presumptuous to say, but the more I've thought about it, the more it's made me realize how _similar_ you and I are. . . ."

At this, Will slowly turned around with a raised eyebrow, wondering what the ebony haired girl was currently playing at, if at all.

". . . . Yeah? How _so?_ Did _your_ family ignore and then abandon you, altogether, _especially_ after having caused the premature death of an innocent, young girl?" she asked within sarcastic bitterness, growing more so upset with herself than at Taranee's seemingly insensitive statement, now that she could then feel the familiar sting of unshed tears beginning to surface within her honey brown eyes.

Averting her own chocolate colored eyes away from the understandably defensive female standing before her, Taranee shamefully shook her head.

". . . . W-Well, no . . . I am both proud, yet strangely _saddened_ to report that _my_ family has always been fully supportive, as well as loving of me," she revealed breathlessly, a great pang of guilt slamming against her heart in that moment. "But . . . even _with_ that love and support, I've never been able to bring myself to tell them about my clairvoyant gifts in all this time. . . . I suppose it's because, since I've personally never been able to fully grasp its nature, I've been . . . _afraid_ that _they_ couldn't, or _wouldn't_ , either. . . . Worse yet, I've also been petrified that . . . that perhaps they'd might even stop _loving_ me, altogether, if any of them ever found out. . . ."

It was Will's turn to feel emotionally moved as she heard this, and especially upon catching sight of the shimmering glisten of Taranee's own brimming tears.

". . . . It wasn't until after listening to your story about your entire family history, and your desire to have earned your father's love and attention that I finally realized t-that . . . perhaps part of the reason why I always work so hard within all that I pursue is so that, just in case _my_ family ever _did_ somehow learn of my gifts . . . it could be my remaining, redeemable quality," she confessed with a broken sigh, clearly doing her absolute best to keep it together, as she forcefully kept both her tears inside, and her eyes downcast. "B-But please do not fully misunderstand me, Miss Vandom . . . for I _do_ lead an otherwise happy life . . . of _sorts_ , I suppose. That is, sometimes . . . I have wished that I never _had_ this ability, as it hasn't made keeping, or indeed, even _making_ any friends all too easy for me. . . . _Because_ it's been so hard for me to control it, it's made being around a lot of people, or even just _one_ person, rather uncomfortable, as I can never be too sure of when next I'll suddenly find myself privy to their unwanted thoughts. . . . And so, couple _that_ with the open observation that a lot of my schoolmates, in particular, have never been the most inviting towards me, due to their . . . well, _resentment_ of my intellectual stamina, and I am, in effect, a natural born _outcast_. . . ."

Will didn't honestly know what to say to the blatantly emotional girl's heartfelt admission, except to simply marvel at how the shoe apparently was now on the other foot in terms of unexpected candidness. . . .

". . . . A-And _now_ , there is the matter of having to cope with the fact that I'm suddenly meant to be ' _Sailormars_ ,' secretly helping to fight alongside Miss Brown's _own_ alter-ego as ' _Sailormeridian_ ,' against a throng of evil beings, or ' _Entities_ ,' as Csilla has informed us they are properly named, which is honestly terrifying, to say the least," Taranee murmured, voice barely above a whisper, as she, too, now suddenly seemed to feel just as exhausted as the redhead before her. But then, just as abruptly as before, she curiously began to sound effortlessly rejuvenated as she continued on. "But . . . as strange as this may sound, even though this added responsibility _should_ truly be viewed as an absolute burden of injustice, as I am sure that that is how _you_ must personally feel about it, yourself, Miss Vandom . . . I honestly _don't_. . . . I don't believe I _ever_ have - At least, not _yet_ , anyhow. . . ."

". . . . And why is that?" Will finally found herself able to speak once more, as she slowly moved back over to her place upon the couch, adjacent to the still seated Taranee.

It was in that moment, as well, did the other girl seem to gain a bit more confidence, as she managed to lift her brown eyes up and rested them upon the cardinal haired teenager next to her.

". . . . Because of _Miss Brown_ ," she softly admitted with an equally soft smile, which admittedly partially warmed Will's heart to both hear and to see. "I mean . . . when she and I had first met several weeks ago, I was truthfully a bit wary of her, given her avid kindness which, to _me_ , is, again, rather foreign and a bit inexplicable to experience on a day to day basis, where my fellow peers are concerned. . . . And even _after_ it had been made known to me that I was now a part of her assembling team of Guardian Soldiers, that hesitance to trust her and to open up was still there, even though she has always been nothing _but_ kindhearted and forthcoming, herself. . . . But, _now_ . . . having gotten to know her ever so gradually, coupled with fighting alongside her and observing just how selfless and caring she can be, even towards complete strangers . . . it honestly makes me _glad_ to have been chosen to be a Soldier. I sort of feel like I now have a greater meaning within my life . . . and that perhaps I finally am no longer _alone_ . . . now that I perhaps have found a friend within her. . . ."

Will certainly didn't wish to admit it, but she could definitely, strongly relate to everything the apparent genius had just then finished sharing with her, _after_ all, especially where it concerned the traditionally exuberant Elyon.

_Well, why_ _not_ _admit it? You've been unusually open with_ _both_ _girls about pretty much everything_ _else_ _within your life thus far,_ she mused with a faint, but growing smile of her own, sliding back within her seat and nervously beginning to tap her right, bare foot upon the ground as she spoke.

". . . . It's definitely _strange_ , isn't it, the almost sort of . . . ' _healing effect_ ' of sorts that that girl seems to have upon the people she interacts with - W-Well, with _you_ , anyway, _and_ for me, I will admit, as well," the redhead began with a small nod of her head within furthered reflection, over the presently absent blonde's generally positive nature. ". . . . And I guess I will also admit that you _were_ right . . . I mean, about how you could possibly relate to how I feel . . . _felt_ about my family. . . . I suppose we're _even_ now with revealing deep, dark secrets about ourselves, then . . . although, within the spirit of keeping up with hard-to-reveal pieces of personal information, all of that stuff you were saying, about how difficult it's been for you to be around other people and feeling like an outcast . . . I know what you mean by that. Well, except, in my _own_ case, I'm more of a self-forced _loner_ , more than I am an 'outcast,' since . . . you know, like I'd already told you and Elyon the other night, I've honestly felt as though I'm _meant_ to stay and to be alone. . . ."

". . . . But, you know . . . it doesn't necessarily have to be that way anymore," Taranee tentatively commented, her eyes seeming to have become far less glassy, as she also appeared to be much calmer. The two, otherwise admitted strangers seemed to be becoming increasingly more comfortable with one another, as their rather candid exchange tore down the walls of self-preservation each girl had effectively built around herself throughout the years, evidently for remarkably close causes.

Will sighed upon hearing the other girl's thoughtful suggestion, now knowing just how personally applicable it was to her, as well.

". . . . Maybe," she began with a small nod, still vigorously tapping her foot against the carpeted floor, "although I think that, for _now_ . . . I'm going to try to take it one day at a time, and play everything by ear. . . ."

"Well, I hope that that will at least include contacting Miss Brown soon, and letting her know personally that you're safe," Taranee kindly remarked within understanding, before suddenly rising to her feet. "Until then, I will do _my_ part within informing her, as well - Both she _and_ Csilla. And, _speaking_ of, I had better go and let her know that I am safe, as well, and have managed to find you, before heading home. . . ."

Will only nodded within comprehension of her own and standing up, as well. She then began to follow Taranee towards the Junior Suite's entrance way and exit, preparing to open the door for her, when the slightly shorter girl curiously stopped abruptly, in line with the kitchen counter to their right.

". . . . O-Oh . . . and one more thing you should know: While it would be an honest welcoming for everyone if you _did_ decide to become an official part of our Guardian Soldier team, _no one_ is going to force you . . . not even Csilla," she spoke without turning around to properly address the redhead, whose eyebrows were then raised within surprise at the unexpected news, especially where it concerned the magical creature.

Will then watched as Taranee's attention seemed to shift onto the kitchen counter, where the former girl's honestly forgotten Jupiter transformation ring had been dismissively tossed, before the dark haired teenager abruptly turned around finally, in order to lock eyes with her one last time before leaving.

". . . . We just want to be your friend, that's all," she said, a bit shakily, although with an unmistakable warmth within her voice, which almost seemed to rival, if not mimic that of _Elyon's_.

And before Will could have responded, although she wasn't quite sure what to say to that, anyhow, Taranee, with a faint, crooked smile of embarrassment in that moment, turned on her heel and proceeded to let herself out of the taller girl's essential home.

Will could only stand within her spot and marvel at all which had transpired within such a short amount of time, as she continued to stare, a bit vacantly, now, at the white colored door which had just released her former visitor from the premises, and was already sealing shut again through the aid of its automatic door closer.

Just a mere half hour ago, _days_ ago, she had been feeling as though her life couldn't possibly get any worse, wracked with suffocating depression.

And _now_ , as a result of having received the unexpected . . . pep talk of sorts, by a girl she had only met twice before, she was suddenly feeling quite . . . _invigorated_ , something she hadn't honestly felt within a rather long time.

Funny, how life truly could be, after all. . . .

With a modest smile forming upon her tawny countenance upon reflection, a new thought suddenly occurred to Will within that moment, causing her to quickly rush towards the door in front of her and, for the first time in days, out into the thankfully rather secluded hotel hallway, given her disheveled appearance.

"H-Hey, Taranee!" the redhead eagerly called out to the slowly, but surely retreating girl within the fair distance, who then whirled around to face the other girl with surprise riddled all over her face.

"Y-Yes?" she answered timidly, her overall shyness seeming to have already returned within such a short amount of time.

". . . . If you're supposed to be our _friend_ , then why do you keep calling Elyon and me ' _Miss Brown_ ' and ' _Miss Vandom_ ' for?" Will asked with a light smirk, hoping that her relevant inquiry would spark within Taranee the response she was looking for.

Pausing for a few moments, looking down at her polished, black school shoes within thought, Taranee then gazed back at Will, and with a soft smile, replied, ". . . . You know, I don't know?"

And with that, the French-braided young woman gave an honestly happy sort of wave to her new companion, before carrying on her way, while Will watched after her with a satisfied grin of her own. . . .

* * *

It was now rather late that Friday evening, with most of the seaside little city having winded down for the night, gearing up for a restful slumber after a long day of hard work.

But not _everyone's_ work was done, and indeed no rest could thus follow, as one man in particular was currently fully immersed within his own devices . . . however devious they happened to be.

Indeed, the Dark General Deite had spent the better part of that remaining week splitting his focus between avidly searching for the next big payout, where collecting enough human energy for his Master was concerned, and regrettably licking his proverbial wounds over the failures each of his previously executed plans had experienced thus far.

He'd had it hard enough as it was, he thought, doing all that he could to maintain his general favor with his ruler (however slight it had always seemed to be, _anyhow_ ), and thus, continue on within the Land of the Living.

But _now_ , Deite had the added competition of his fellow Dark General, _Zoi_ , and his continually unwanted presence to contend with, which had caused the red haired man to be effectively diverted away from his former, dual responsibility of searching for the continually sought after Mystical Star of Threbe, in addition to his collection of human energy.

Things had already been quite vexing as it was, what with the meddlesome appearance of the Guardian Soldiers at every turn to thwart his past efforts, after all; he didn't need _this_ , as well!

But, at least for now, none of that mattered, as Deite was absolutely positive that this time, for _sure_ , his latest course of action was going to work . . . even though, granted, it _had_ taken him a little while to happen upon it.

Oh, he supposed that it might have been a bit easier to have simply created another Entity, and let it run a muck throughout the city, collecting the energy of every last one of those wretched humans along the way.

After all, human energy was human energy, no matter the method used to gather it.

But Deite knew that that would have been a bit _too_ risky, maybe even a tad _foolhardy_ , he was willing to admit to himself, to have done, simply for the sake of readily appeasing his Master. The cornflower haired, malevolent sovereign seemed to prefer to keep the actions of his minions along the subtly side, thus far, so Deite was pretty certain that having decided to do things his _own_ way might have promptly awarded him a one way ticket straight to _Hell_.

Not to mention the slightly more important fact that he would _not_ give Zoi any excuse to revel within any of his furthered non-achievement.

" _Misguided action is_ _aimless_ _action,"_ as he had put it. . . .

Immediately the blood coursing through Deite's veins seemed to reach boiling capacity upon brief reflection over the fairly recent memory, feeling the profound hatred he harbored for the raven haired man begin to deepen, if it had been at all possible.

_How dare that fool try to give me advice, like some pathetic little child! At least_ _I've_ _been trying to help serve our Master's grand vision, while_ _he_ _has yet to lift even a finger since his awakening. . . . But that just means that there will be more glory for_ _me,_ _once I've succeeded within this new plan of mine_ , the temperamental redhead mused with a growing smirk upon his previously scowling visage.

"Taking a bit of an _evening_ siesta, are we? I wonder if our Master would appreciate such a thing. . . ."

Deite nearly shattered all of his teeth through the sheer force he had then placed upon them, the very moment he'd regrettably listened to the dark haired man in question suddenly speak from behind him. If he were not such an evil, strong willed being, he might have honestly felt a bit afraid just then, as well, given that their current surroundings was rather dark and secluded.

"I suppose, then, it would _take_ one to _know_ one, wouldn't it, Zoi? How _is_ vacation life treating you thus far?" the crimson locked man promptly taunted with a furthered gritting of his teeth, before turning around to glare daggers at his personal nemesis.

Zoi, within his typical manner (an observation which only served to _amplify_ Deite's absolute choler in regards to the man), merely gave a tiny shrug, before he then calmly approached.

"As a matter of fact, I was just within the middle of making final preparations for my premiere scouting venture for the Mystical Star of Threbe, when I had curiously sensed your energy signature nearby," he revealed within his usually relaxed nature, as he continued to direct his gaze towards his quite commonly contradicting comrade. He then inquisitively looked about their present surroundings with a small raise of his dark eyebrow, before looking back at the deeply frowning Deite. ". . . . Evidently great minds think alike, although I must say that this news rather _surprises_ me, given the present company. . . ."

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean, you blithering _dolt?_ " Deite hissed within inquiry and a shake of his white gloved right hand, causing Zoi to let out a small, brief chuckle.

"I rest my case," he stated with a light sigh, before slowly maneuvering around the seething young man, his long, eggplant tinted cape dragging behind him as he did so. "At _any_ rate, it is still quite interesting to see that you and I have selected the same location as our base of operation. Wouldn't you say so, my friend?"

"I am _not_ your friend, and -! Wait . . . what do you _mean_ 'the same location as our base of operation?' You don't mean to say that _you've_ picked this place as your _own?_ _Think_ again!" Deite cried with absolute venom lacing his every last word as he whirled around, doing his best to then loom over the other man, an act which was a bit difficult considering that Zoi was a few inches taller by comparison.

The dark violet schemed, uniformed musician softly smirked at this, as per usual feeling quite undaunted by his associate's blowhard antics.

"Oh, _come_ now, Deite; _surely_ this planet is large enough for the two of us to share?" he queried with continued amusement, slowly folding his strong arms across his chest. "And besides, you and I have been charged with two, completely separate tasks, after all, so it isn't as though I will be impeding upon your so called 'territory.' No, I had merely done my research like you, and found this specific location to be promising as a potential yielding of the Mystical Star of Threbe. The taking of energy from those who will gather within this very spot in drones tomorrow is all _yours_ ; I'll even let you have at the Guardian Soldiers, with whatever Entity you use to assist you with your plan . . . that is, _if_ they show up, of course."

"I'm _relishing_ the strong possibility, in fact, Zoi . . . _any_ chance to destroy those do-gooder _twits_ is always welcomed by me," Deite remarked with another scowl, although his overall demeanor then seemed to relax a fairly good deal.

Perhaps it had been due to his tactical appeasing, if only for the sake of getting any work done, although Zoi was not certain. All that personally mattered to _him_ was that the unbridled man did not continue to egg on the slight headache which was admittedly then beginning to form within his head.

"Well, confidence is key, I suppose," he commented with a small nod, lifting his own gloved hand to then lightly rub underneath his chin within furthered thought. "I _will_ admit that I, myself, am rather anxious to see them, as well. After all, we have yet to be properly introduced. . . ."

"I thought you said that you weren't going to interfere any further than simply retrieving the Mystical Star of Threbe?" Deite suddenly snapped, almost resembling a child just then, the way he'd heatedly stomped his right foot onto the cooling ground beneath them both.

Zoi couldn't help but to smile at the sight before it slowly faded away, as a fleeting, although still palpable feeling suddenly then washed over him within an odd, sort of familiarity . . . or was it perhaps a _memory_ of some kind?

" _Hello?_ Are you even _listening_ to me, anymore?" he could hear Deite angrily interrupt his slightly perplexed thoughts, feeling almost relieved, yet disappointed that he had.

"Y-Yes . . . yes, of course," Zoi softly replied as his curious, momentary haze had been lifted, before clearing his throat within continuance. " _Anyhow_ , I was merely stating that it would nice to meet the Guardian Soldiers, as well, as they seem to be rather formidable, given that they have continually bested you at every turn . . . and I find that to be _most_ intriguing, indeed. . . ."

"I would have your _head_ this very _instant_ were it not for the Master's desire to keep you around!" Deite bellowed upon having listened to yet another one of the reserved man's digs at his expense, making a rough, snatching motion into the air with his hand, directly in front of his opponent's neutral, deeply tanned face. "Those Soldiers are _hardly_ 'formidable,' as you put it, even _with_ their latest increase within numbers! They have merely been a distracting _nuisance_ , at best, and I _will_ have them for it! Them, and anyone _else_ who gets within my way!"

Zoi said nothing to this, merely choosing to gaze silently upon his ever seething cohort, as he understood fully of the man's threat being blatantly extended to him, alongside the recently formed Guardian Soldier trio.

And before he could have received any further tongue lashings, froth with pure ire, Zoi gave a small, sideways incline of his jet black colored head, before then vanishing from sight within his trademark wave of deep violet hued light, his mind admittedly becoming distracted with other matters once more. . . .

With the continued bane of existence at last gone, if only for the time being, Deite immediately began to calm down a bit, as he retrained his attention onto his soon to be executed vision in just a few hour's time.

". . . . Oh, yes, Guardian Soldiers . . . I really _do_ hope you'll come to enjoy the festivities tomorrow . . . when I will finally _end_ all of you," he spoke venomously through clenched teeth, surveying the once again secluded area one last time, before he, too, then magically exited, his cold heart currently full of ample content for what was next to come. . . .

* * *

Elyon had effortlessly awakened, bright and early the following morning, around eight o'clock, which was something not too common within a _general_ capacity, let alone on a _Saturday_. But then, given that she had decidedly turned in several hours earlier than her usual bedtime the previous evening, it wasn't all that surprising.

She imagined that such a slightly uncharacteristic act most likely had caught the both of her parents, and even Csilla, off guard, especially having also foregone dinner that night, as well, but she didn't care . . . she didn't honestly feel like she _could_ care for much of anything anymore, having spent the last several days doing so nonstop, to the point of permanent exhaustion.

Elyon just felt so utterly _lost_ , unsure of what move to make next, where the continually missing Will was concerned. She had spent the remainder of her Friday afternoon locked within her bedroom at home, thankfully alone, and crying her eyes out over such anxiety, ignoring several of the phone calls she had received from her various school friends during that time.

Even when she saw that _Taranee_ was surprisingly calling her once more, this time most likely to check up on her than to request another scheduled, tutorial lesson, she hadn't bothered to answer. It had made her feel even worse than she did already to have done so, to have done to _all_ of her friends, but Elyon just simply had not been within the right state of mind for any sort of conversation with anyone.

And she _still_ wasn't, truth be told.

Which was why the young blonde was rather thankful to have woken up to a still quiet sounding house, indicating to her that the both of her parents were most likely still fast asleep after a long, hard day of work the previous day. Even Csilla, she saw, had also been continuing to slumber, as well, curiously doing so upon the soft carpeted floor within the far corner of the girl's bedroom, rather than her usual spot at the foot of Elyon's bed.

But then again, given that the two _did_ experience such the heated dispute yesterday, Elyon supposed that she could understand a little bit, although she did wonder whether Csilla had done so _more_ so because she was afraid that her charge now currently resented her, _or_ because the feline was upset over the fact that the girl had refused to see things _her_ way, over how to properly handle things about Will's blatant refusal to join their Guardian Soldier assemblage.

_Whatever_ the primary cause, it seemed to have motivated the furry animal to have stayed out late, as well, even after sunset, _and_ after Elyon's mother and father had both returned home from work. And because she had gone to sleep early, she didn't see her again until the very moment she had woken up.

_But at least she seems to be all right . . . I don't need to add_ _another_ _individual to the list of missing persons_ , Elyon silently reflected with a small yawn, as she was now currently within the middle of an early morning walk about her familiar neighborhood, without having bothered to eat any breakfast. _Still, I'm glad that she wasn't awake yet . . . I can't handle any furthered talks of her trying to convince me and Taranee to force Will to be a part of our group . . . assuming Will's ever_ _found_ _, anyway. . . ._

That final thought caused Elyon's to ache all over again, tears already beginning to form within her periwinkle colored eyes as she continued on within her slow paced walk.

No. She _wasn't_ going to cry again, allowing herself to drown within her constant depression.

She had to be _strong_ , if only for the sake of her own sanity. . . .

And that's when it hit her.

" _Wait_ a sec . . . I'm a monster fighting, superpower infused girl now! If I can somehow manage to defeat those dangers, then _surely_ I can manage to find one little _person!_ " the dishwater blonde softly murmured to herself within slowly reforming hope, momentarily stopping within her walk. "I'll just head back to downtown Heatherfield, back to the mall and grocery stores Will and I had gone to together the other day, and see if I can't spot her around _there!_ "

_It's worth a shot, anyway, better than doing nothing and going out of my mind like this_ , she thought with added effect, also wondering why she hadn't honestly thought of doing so far sooner.

With a renewed kick in her step, Elyon then suddenly broke out into a feverish run, as she headed for the nearest bus stop, which would then take her to her anticipated destination.

* * *

Caleb let out a gruff, faintly fatigued exhale, wiping several beads of newly fallen sweat away from his forehead with the back of his hand, as he continued on within his early morning jog. It was an activity which he tried to partake in as regularly as he could, and quite enjoyed doing, as it helped to keep him in shape . . . which was something that _his_ particular 'line of work' needed, especially given the fact that things had increasingly become rather active within where it was concerned.

That was _another_ reason why he enjoyed his habitual jogs, as it also awarded him ample time to think. Well, a time to _reorganize_ and prioritize his pretty repetitive thoughts, anyway, seeing as all he generally seemed to do _was_ think on a fairly daily basis.

After all, there was _a lot_ more pressure put upon him than most other eighteen-year-olds, even _with_ the usual, generalized, and unanimous concerns of being accepted into a good college and then shaping their future within the best way possible.

Caleb was pretty positive that no one _else_ around his age had to _also_ contend with the knowledge that pure evil truly existed within the world, an evil which was currently attempting to destroy it.

Well, no one else, except for the magical newcomers, the _Guardian Soldiers_ , that is, and the more seasoned _Sailor V_ , perhaps.

Those females certainly had it _far_ more easy than he, given that he, himself, had no magical ability to speak of, _or_ a fully working memory, even. At least _they_ seemed to know who each of them were, and were fighting for a definitive purpose.

_Caleb_ , on the other hand, wasn't honestly _sure_ why he continued to do the same a lot of the time, which only further loaned to his growing befuddlement to who he was as a individual, overall.

And all because of one, honestly haunting dream. . . .

The young brunet could recall, clear as day, the very first time he had experienced it, nearly one year ago, before then experiencing everyday since.

It was always the same . . . the same, white haze of an indiscernible location . . . the same, undeniable silhouette of a young, almost regal sort of female . . . and the same, cryptic, and pleading request she would lay onto to him throughout each repeated encounter:

" _The Mystical Star of Threbe . . . find it . . . please. . . ."_

It had almost become a backwards sort of comfort to Caleb, now, this mysterious dream, after so many nights of reliving it. And yet, it was greatly plaguing to him, as well, for he did not know what it honestly meant, or why it kept uncontrollably replaying within his mind.

And he _certainly_ hadn't the slightest what this Mystical Star of Threbe actually _was_ , or indeed where it could be located . . . but even _with_ all of this stacked against him, he was still out there, risking his neck while scouring the entire city for it on nearly a daily basis.

Caleb supposed that perhaps it was mainly because of the way the dream, that _girl_ made him feel after awakening from it each time. He would always feel such an odd sort of . . . connective _obligation_ to her, to ' _The Princess_ ,' as he had decided to nickname her, _and_ to her message, as though no one else within the world could possibly help her _but_ him.

He couldn't deny that the possible recovering of the Mystical Star of Threbe might also mean finally figuring out exactly who he is as another part of his motivation, as well . . . that perhaps _that_ was the entire point of those dreams in the first place.

_Of course,_ _then_ _, if that turns out to be the case, then that means that that mysterious girl within it could_ _also_ _be personally significant to me somehow_ , Caleb silently contemplated as he continued on within his jog, carefully maneuvering around the influx of fellow pedestrians steadily filtering into the streets, as the early morning minutes pressed on. _Maybe she could_ _even_ _be a relative of mine. . . ._

This wasn't the first time the young man had wondered about it, although it _was_ a thought not welcomed all too often, as he did not wish to raise his hopes up too high.

After all, he _had_ spent the last eleven years experiencing orphanhood, crippled with severe amnesia, _and_ the loss of his parents. That was about the _only_ thing he could recall of his former childhood, that he indeed once possessed a family, before they were cruelly torn away from his young life, within a tragic car accident which had nearly claimed his _own_ life, as well.

And on the day of his _birthday_ , no less. . . .

It often afflicted Caleb with strong bouts of 'Survivor Guilt' to think about, how he had been the only one to make it out of the mangled wreckage alive, with no more than a few broken bones and bruised left eye for a little while thereafter.

And he _would_ do his best to block the partial memory away from his mind, but to no avail, it ironically being the final experience of his youthful past that he _could_ readily recall. It was just at times quite difficult for him to comprehend why _neither_ parent could have been spared like him, as well, if not both, and how the only lasting scar left upon him as a result of the accident had been his damaged _memory_.

No. That wasn't honestly accurate.

The lasting scar left upon Caleb _was_ his fractured memory, true, but also, and more importantly so, it was having been left alone within the world, without anyone to call ' _family_. . . .'

Oh, at first, he did believe, for a fairly long while, in fact, that someone, an aunt or uncle, perhaps, would one day come to retrieve him (especially since he _did_ at least remember his date of birth, something which he had initially believed might have helped those within Social Services), from the group home he had unfortunately ended up becoming quite familiar with for a little over the last decade . . . but when no one had ever come, that dream of ever being reunited with any remaining kin finally died away, alongside his parents.

But Caleb refused to take pity upon himself, choosing instead to make himself _strong_ , both physically as well as emotionally, in order to be able to properly look after himself as soon as he was at last legally able to leave the Children's Home, which he finally _had_ earlier this past summer, upon having reached his eighteenth birthday, a specific day he had also long since ceased within celebrating.

Although, that had probably been the first time in years Caleb had actually felt _happy_ that it was coming for a change, as his newfound _freedom_ and _independence_ would have also accompanied it. He'd now had his whole life ahead of him, to mold within his own design and carry out within the best way that he could.

He had managed to secure a rather nice apartment, even if it _was_ a little cramped (although finally being able to possess a bedroom, a living quarter, period, which was solely for him was truly a welcomed blessing, no _matter_ its overall size), and had even gotten accepted into the college of his choice with a full scholarship, courtesy of consistently good grades over the years, _and_ a rather poignant essay dedicated to his late mother and father in memory. . . .

And, adding to the list the recently acquired job as a various deliveries driver (which wasn't the most riveting, but it was still something), Caleb wasn't doing too badly so far, within his fairly normal life.

That is, his life _would_ have been somewhat close to normal, anyhow, were it not for those reoccurring dreams, and his mystery woman. . . .

" _His"_ woman.

He still wondered if that were so.

Maybe the dream was a lost memory of his _mother_ , and her asking him to retrieve the 'Mystical Star of Threbe' was merely something she had spoken to him about right before the accident, like an intended birthday present?

Well, no.

Even though it was becoming nearly impossible for him to accurately recall any longer as time went on, and especially without any photographs to aid him, Caleb could at _least_ remember that his mother had had long, slightly wavy black hair.

The female within his dream, as far as he could _tell_ , at least, given she continually remained predominantly shrouded within shadow, possessed _fair_ colored locks, almost sunlit in hue, perhaps. And it, while lengthy, as well, seemed to flow, like an endless river, freely behind her back and down to her feet.

And besides that, she did not seem to be any older than nineteen, or even twenty-years-old, as well, the more Caleb thought about it, so she couldn't _possibly_ be of his relation within a motherly sense.

_Maybe she could be a long lost_ _sister_ _, or_ _cousin_ _, perhaps_ , he mused even further, unable to stop himself, as the long since buried optimism over having his family back became gradually unearthed more and more.

He _had_ to stop this.

Even though he had decided to finally take the repetitive dream more seriously, after having resisted for quite a while, before finally deciding to do something about it, he didn't want to go emotionally overboard, just in case he was _never_ able to find what he was looking for.

_Especially since it isn't as though I've gotten any closer to finding anything, either_ , Caleb thought with a pensive expression suffusing onto his glistening face, rounding a corner as he unknowingly continued to lead himself straight into downtown Heatherfield, a destination he hadn't originally intended upon seeking.

For _one_ thing, again, he was still as much within the dark about what the Mystical Star of Threbe actually _was_ , as he was about the identity of ' _The Princess,_ ' in addition to his own. But based upon its name, he _did_ at least manage to hypothesize that perhaps it was a piece of jewelry of some sort, like a necklace or a brooch, which was why he'd been thus far spending a great deal of time combing through every last jewelry store, exhibit or auction that he could find.

And with a name like ' _The Mystical Star of Threbe_ ,' he'd figured that it _had_ to be an item absolutely awesome within nature, and thus would just instantly know it once he was finally able to lay eyes upon it.

The overall task, though, getting into and out of traditionally well guarded areas, was originally difficult all on its own, as he was no natural born cat burglar. But _now_ , with the Guardian Soldiers seeming to be after the object, as well, whatever _their_ reason, in _addition_ to bringing along various, vile creations with them, it was damned near _impossible_.

Even _before_ their abrupt, dual arrival, in fact, Caleb _still_ had had to dodge an ever present, ever _bothersome_ obstacle for his objective, as well: _Sailor V_.

It seemed to be that everywhere he would turn, she was there, always stopping him at every turn, at any time he would manage to sneakily get his hands upon a few jewelry related items. The blonde, lone, crime-fighting machine certainly appeared to be taking her seemingly self-appointed position quite seriously, never discriminating against the big time lawbreakers of their city, _or_ the small time, fairly inexperienced 'item-liberators' such as himself.

And she most _definitely_ seemed to enjoy doing so, as well, given the way she would always flash the young man a rather confident smirk after every, single, _vexing_ pas de deux that they'd share, her crisp blue eyes twinkling within taunting amusement from behind the large, lavender hued mask she'd always keep upon her fair visage.

Were it not for Sailor V's _other_ goodhearted activities, indeed, Caleb would be easily swayed into believing that she was only out to get _him_ , and no one else . . . although, _thankfully_ , and curiously so, their once pretty frequent, direct encounters with one another had dwindled within the last several weeks or so.

Almost right around the time when Sailormeridian had first shown up, in fact. . . .

_Sailormeridian_.

Now _she_ was another piece to add to the disorienting puzzle which was Caleb's emotions.

He still hadn't the foggiest where _she_ had suddenly come from or even _why_ , much like the rest of her fellow Guardian Soldiers, but there was one thing he knew for certain, much to his admitted chagrin:

He'd felt positively _drawn_ to her. . . .

That inexplicable pull was almost a bit similar to what Caleb felt within regards to 'The Princess,' although it was not quite the same. For _one_ thing, the brunet didn't feel that _Sailormeridian_ could be of his kin in some way, as he would often think of his dream woman . . . although, it _was_ rather coincidental that the two seemed to desire the same item.

And if he were not so desperate to retrieve it for _himself_ , Caleb _might_ have enlisted the help of Sailormeridian and her companions to locate it.

_"Tuxedo Kamen . . . are you also searching for the Mystical Star of Threbe? Who_ _are_ _you?"_ he could recall the enchanted, grayish feline, Csilla having asked him a few weeks ago, upon the occasion of his second, direct encounter with the Guardian Soldiers.

_". . . . Don't know . . . but, so long as we both are looking for the same thing, then . . . I suppose I am also your enemy, as well," _he'd then informed, with a bit of cold-hearted precision, to the trio of females who had been standing before him at the time, before having returned what he had previously believed to be the Star of Threbe to an undeniably astonished Sailormeridian, and had then taken his leave of them.

Even though he had only seen her expression for just a few moments before he had retreated, the young heroine's profoundly saddened, taken aback blue eyes had managed to affect him . . . _far_ more greatly than he would have liked, or indeed _expected_ it to in the first place.

Those eyes of hers . . . so full of untainted innocence and compassion. . . they would effortlessly weaken his resolve every time he'd gaze into them during their every encounter. . . . And he couldn't deny how rather becoming the _owner_ of those haunting eyes was, herself, either, _or_ how almost . . . _pleased_ he'd be to see her again.

However, _now_ , now that he had openly declared himself a rival to her general efforts, Caleb wasn't sure if he personally _ever_ wanted to see Sailormeridian again, or, moreover, precisely how he would _feel_ if he never did. . . .

_. . . . But, I guess none of that honestly matters, bottom-line_ , he silently tried to convince himself, momentarily gazing down at the hardened concrete upon which he continued to run. _So long as I can find the Mystical Star of Threbe and, with it, hopefully finally figure out who I am, and maybe even who '_ _The Princess_ _' is within my dreams, then that's all that truly matters. . . ._

As Caleb was just about to return his attention appropriately upward, he could then suddenly feel his half naked, decently muscular body abruptly meet with something rather hard, yet soft at the same time, before nearly falling backward onto the ground.

"W-What the -?" he uttered within great surprise, shaking his brown colored head to effectively snap himself out of his overall daze, before his naturally resilient green eyes then widened within added shock. " _Y-You!_ "

It was _her_ . . . _yet_ again, doing what seemed to be her avid _forté_ , as she bumped into him for what now felt like the umpteenth time.

_Elyon_.

Caleb didn't believe that there would ever be a time where he'd see the young, immature blonde, and _not_ feel almost immediate irritation for it, much within the way he now was, already.

He watched with minimal interest as the small girl regathered her own senses (however _few_ they might be, he surmised), before promptly flashing him a generous frown.

" _Ugh!_ Excuse _me_ , but _you're_ the one who rammed into me, Caleb!" she snapped within response, sounding every bit as annoyed as he presently _felt_.

"Um, _nooo_ . . . try _again_ there, 'Piggy Tails,'" Caleb said within admittedly weak defense, given that he _had_ taken his eyes off the path ahead, even _if_ it had only been for a mere moment.

Elyon stomped a sneakered foot onto the increasingly busy street at this, although most likely more so in reference to the brunet's understandably unflattering nickname he had adopted for her since their premiere meeting. Sure enough, she then heatedly reached up with both hands to roughly seize at the ends of her dishwater blonde hair, which, Caleb had only then realized, were _not_ within the usual, fairly messy pigtailed hairstyle he'd seen her don each time their paths would cross.

"The name is _Elyon_ , for crying out loud, man! _El_ – _y_ – _on!_ My hair's not _even_ in pigtails today!" she hissed within full exasperation, which merely caused the young man before her to grin within amusement, a sight he was quite positive would only add further fuel to the blatantly boiling ire she'd possessed against him.

But then, Caleb could feel his smile slowly beginning to fade, as he focused more upon Elyon's free flowing, shoulder length locks. Although it did still seem to be upon the disheveled side, appearing to be a bit tangled within some spots, indicating that she clearly hadn't bothered to properly brush it before leaving the house that morning, he had to admit that she didn't look too unsightly.

That is, no more than _usual_ , anyway.

"You should keep your hair like that more often," Caleb suddenly heard himself murmur aloud before he'd even realized what he was saying, which then immediately caused both he _and_ Elyon to blindly take an uneasy step away from one another.

". . . . _H-Huh?_ " was all she could muster as a response, clearly never having expected such a statement, an actual _compliment_ of sorts, to be rendered from one who usually spent more time _insulting_ her than anything else.

Caleb, attempting to play it cool while he inwardly tried to recover, slowly folded his bare arms across his equally bare, perspiring chest as calmly as he could before he spoke again.

". . . . I just mean that . . . if you want me to stop calling you ' _Piggy Tails_ ,' then it'd probably be a smart idea to find _another_ hairstyle which doesn't get its name from a typically smelly animal," he said with as much nonchalance as he could manage, throwing in an added shrug for good measure.

Expecting Elyon to promptly fly off the handle once more upon listening to this, she curiously then began to actually . . . _blush_ , but not perhaps within a personally offended sort of way. Confused, Caleb began to study her suddenly flushed face a moment, as he tried to figure out what could have been the true culprit behind her embarrassment.

That was when he realized that she was no longer looking directly at his face, but rather at _another_ part of his body, causing him to follow her slightly downcast gaze onto his naked _chest_.

_Oh, this is too rich_ , the college freshman mused upon having solved the mystery, feeling his previous smirk beginning to return as he couldn't help but to find this newfound development ripe with humor. He _also_ couldn't help but to feel strangely . . . _flattered_ , as well, although he quickly surmised that _that_ was a mere byproduct to being a fairly typical teenager.

He _hoped_ , anyway.

". . . . I take it that you like what you see, there, 'Piggy Tails,' or should I say, ' _Elyon_ ,' at least for _today_ , anyway," Caleb remarked within jest, unable to stop himself, as the overall moment was too good to resist where teasing the continually abashed blonde was concerned. He then purposefully lowered his arms away from his chest, and blindly stuffed them into the empty pockets of the black colored jogging shorts he currently had on.

" _N-No!_ Of _course_ not!" Elyon stammered within weakened defense, before finally wrenching her blue eyes away from him and swiftly turned her head to the side, as though for added protection. " _Anyway_ , I don't have time to deal with you right now - Or _ever_ , really. I was in the middle of doing something pretty important."

With that, the young, teenaged girl then stepped around Caleb without another word, _or_ another glance sent his way. He was going to let her go and to simply leave it at that, as he never found the conversations they'd share to be all that riveting, himself, but an odd sort of curiosity as to what _her_ particular definition of 'important' could possibly be hit him just then.

And so, he followed after her.

"Oh, yeah? And what, exactly, was it? Trying to make it to a _shoe_ sale on time, or something?" Caleb automatically teased upon having caught up to the formerly retreating girl, who now seemed to have fully recovered from her earlier superfluity.

He once again expected her to completely lose it, and sling a colorful slew of verbal abuse right back at him, or to at _least_ scowl deeply within offense like always, but she did neither.

Instead, Elyon curiously hung her head a bit low, eyes downcast a bit, as her softly tanned countenance twisted into an expression of distressed reflection, which surprisingly made Caleb feel a tad worried, himself, in that his previous joke had actually managed to hurt her feelings, _after_ all.

". . . . H-Hey. I was only _messing_ with you; no need to get _upset_ over it," he forced himself to apologize while the pair continued to walk side by side, just in case the usually sensitive girl grew all the _more_ sensitive within the next several moments.

Surprisingly, however, Elyon only shook her soft blonde colored head at this, before letting out a gentle exhale.

"No . . . it isn't that . . . or even has anything to _do_ with you," she said quietly, lifting her periwinkle tinted eyes once more, which curiously now looked to be a bit glassy.

_God, I hope she's not gonna start crying or something. If so, then I'm definitely_ _out_ _of here_ , Caleb found himself thinking a bit heartlessly upon noticing this, although more so for his own protection, as he was sure to feel unbelievable discomfort if he hung around to watch her do so.

Seeing _anyone_ cry usually made him feel that way, as he was never quite sure what to say by way of consolation during such times . . . and given that he couldn't recall the last time _he_ had ever done so, himself, he was all the more at a loss over it.

Awkwardly clearing his throat, not having expected the overall tone of their meeting to have become so serious, Caleb then pressured himself to stick around for little while longer, at least long enough to ask the almost sort of social obligatory inquiry of, ". . . . What's the matter?"

At this, Elyon at last took a chance upon looking directly at him again, blinking a bit rapidly with slightly raised eyebrows of surprise, before looking away from him once more.

". . . . I'm not honestly sure why you care to know, _or_ why I'm even bothering to tell you, especially given that it's none of your business, but . . . a friend of mine and I . . . sort of had a fight a few days ago, and I've been unable to find her since," she slowly explained as the two turned a new corner, making him finally fully aware of his current surroundings of downtown Heatherfield, now that he was completely free of his earlier ruminations.

"I . . . _see_. So why don't you just give her a _call_ or something, then, if you can't find her - Although, given that you two evidently had this 'fight' of yours, I'm not really surprised that you can't," Caleb commented matter-of-factually, lightly shrugging as he pulled one hand out of his pockets to gently scratch underneath his faintly stubbly chin.

Elyon sighed heavily at this, before shaking her head.

"That's just it; I _can't_. I can't even go to her _house_ ," she revealed forlornly as they continued walking, making it Caleb's turn to then relatively lift his own eyebrows within surprised confusion.

"Uh . . . so then how are you two even fr -"

"- I don't _know! Okay?_ " Elyon suddenly cried, stopping within her tracks as she interrupted the now profoundly taken aback young man. She then vigorously rubbed at her bang covered forehead within obvious frustration before continuing. "I mean, she and I _are_ friends, or at least, I had hoped we _could_ be, anyway. . . . We had only just met the other day on her first day at my school, after she had thankfully saved me from getting hit by an oncoming vehicle on our way there . . . and we'd seemed to sort of hit it off since then. . . . But then, like I said before, there was a rather heated . . . _dispute_ , and by the end of it she pretty much told me - _A-And_ two other friends of mine - that she wants _nothing_ to do with us. . . ."

Caleb peculiarly then felt a mixture of an almost sort of an indebted relief that the mysterious girl in question had evidently saved Elyon's life, in addition to an odd _disdain_ toward her, that she'd then chosen to discard their budding friendship so soon after having met her.

He said nothing as a result, doing his best to shun those contradicting, inexplicable sensations, his silence then allowing Elyon to be free to press on within her dreary tale.

"And so, _now_ , because I'd barely gotten the chance to know her, I'm admittedly at a loss upon how to find her . . . but I was hoping that, by coming _here_ and looking around downtown, where we'd last hung out together, I might be able to spot her somewhere," she concluded with a small smile, her former depression already exiting from both her voice and countenance, as an undeniable sense of hopefulness took its place.

Caleb couldn't help but to feel a mild sense of respect for the petite girl standing before him in that moment, as he also felt quite surprised by the tenacity he'd never before thought someone like her could possess.

". . . . So you're just going to wander around here all day, until you may or may _not_ even bump into her?" he asked within vague disbelief, feeling unsure of whether or not _he_ would have been willing to do the same, himself, and _especially_ for someone who'd basically shunned him, as Elyon's absent and so called companion had done to _her_. "Why even _bother_ , at that? You _did_ say that you two aren't honestly _friends_ , anyway."

Instead of faltering, Elyon's smile only began to strengthen then, as her eyes also seemed to brighten.

". . . . Because _I_ still consider her to be my friend, even if _she_ no longer feels the same way about _me_ . . . _and_ because I care a lot about her," she replied softly with an affirmative nod, her blue eyes then beginning to become effortlessly filtered with an unwavering compassion quite similar to that of . . . of. . . .

_. . . . Sailormeridian_ , Caleb unexpectedly thought within silent connection, causing his heart to skip a beat and his dark brows to furrow within dissatisfaction.

There was no _way_ someone like _Elyon_ could ever be an individual like _Sailormeridian_ . . . although, to be minutely fair, the brunet wasn't honestly all too personally familiar with _either_ person to truly be certain.

_Still_.

Considering the . . . all right, he would finally admit it to himself, mild _attraction_ he'd found himself experiencing for the pretty selfless superheroine, the absolutely _last_ thing he wanted to do was taint those slowly forming feelings by beginning to associate her with the likes of the habitually overemotional _Elyon_.

Roughly shaking his head from side to side within vague disgust, Caleb reopened his mouth in order to conclude his overall conversation with the young girl, as he was then losing interest, while _gaining_ renewed discomfort.

"Hmm. . . . Well, best of luck to you, then. _Later_ ," he said as disconnectedly as he could, momentarily catching the instant look of utter perplexity which then flashed upon the formerly smiling Elyon's face, before he then turned and promptly resumed his jog within his previous direction.

He was pretty sure that he would most likely never hear the end of it from her, over that admittedly impolite act, if their paths crossed again within the near future, about which he was becoming increasingly less doubtful.

However, that was for another time.

Right _then_ , he didn't want to continue hanging around her, lest the melting pot of amalgamated emotions he was trying to keep at a low simmer suddenly erupted into a full boil.

All he wanted to do now was simply complete his no longer relaxing run, head back home, take a long, _hot_ shower, and try to enjoy the rest of his Saturday without any further thoughts about Elyon, Sailormeridian, or even his dream woman disrupting anything for a change. . . .

* * *

This was _not_ what Taranee had originally expected upon waking up this morning.

She had simply planned on taking another trip downtown upon the completion of breakfast, back to the Garrick Plaza Hotel, in order to attend the environmental fundraiser it was hosting and show some support.

All right, so in truth, Taranee had wanted to return to the hotel primarily to double check on the newly located Will, even though she truly _did_ believe that raising money to help the earthly atmosphere _was_ a worthy cause.

But her _main_ motivation had been to see the redhead once more, especially since Elyon had yet to return the telephone call Taranee had placed to her yesterday, upon having parted ways with elusive tomboy. She _did_ figure that Csilla would have most likely personally informed the blonde haired girl of their group's recent developments, as well, as she, _herself_ had been from Taranee, once the two had been reunited back outside of the bustling hotel.

Still, she had wanted to make _doubly_ certain that all of Elyon's anguished concerns over Will's previously unknown whereabouts would finally be able to be laid to rest.

Taranee would have honestly felt a bit worried, herself, over the fair haired girl's lack of communication with her as of yet, were it not for the belief that the sometimes easily distracted teenager had most likely already rushed over to the hotel, in order to finally see Will for herself, without having bothered to check back in with her.

And so, that was also another reason why the French-braided young woman had wanted to make the journey back to Will's place of stay, so that she could get back in touch with the _both_ of them at the same time, before perhaps sticking around for a little while to observe the ongoing fundraiser, if she wouldn't immediately return back home.

It had all seemed simple enough, those objectives.

She hadn't honestly surmised that she'd suddenly find herself facing off against a rather troublesome _Entity_ as Sailormars, and _alone_ for a change _,_ at that. . . .

It had suddenly appeared, within the hotel's rather packed courtyard, wherein the important fundraiser was evidently being held, _and_ wherein she had been aimlessly wandering just minutes prior, alongside the platoon of various guests, sponsors and hotel staff alike.

And _now_ , a good majority of those individuals were lying upon the cool ground, unconscious, and greatly debilitated from having already been successfully siphoned of their energy by the silver-faced, menacing Entity, while the remainder of would-be victims had managed to flee, with their overall good health still in tact.

Sailormars let out a frustrated grunt, as she once again barely dodged the onslaught of electrical based attacks the admittedly winning creature kept directing her way. Given that it presently had the appearance of what appeared be a stage microphone, most likely having been created from one of the many unaltered upon the green colored raised platform behind it, she was not entirely too surprised.

While its uniquely slender, black colored body sort of resembled that of what the astute girl knew to be referred to as a 'Dynamic Microphone,' its face, which was partially concealed by the white, hooded shawl secured upon its head, looked more like a 'Carbon Microphone,' instead.

Sailormars cringed a bit as she studied its undeniably disturbing countenance, the way it continued to peer at her threateningly with its pure white, _cold_ eyes, and held a seemingly permanent glower upon its broad, sinister mouth.

Although its overall appearance was naturally daunting to the lone Guardian Soldier, what presently affected her the most was how _none_ of her attempts at soundly wounding it seemed to be working thus far.

At any time she would cast one of her fire based attacks at it, while it _would_ stagger back for a little bit, it never seemed to slow it down, _nor_ run out of strength, as profoundly evident to her by its consistent counterattacks.

"I-It just _has_ to have a weakness," Sailormars muttered gravely to herself upon diving out of the way once more, as she began to search within the vast recesses of her intellectual mind for the solution. "If I don't soon, I'll - _Ahh!_ "

The Fire-imbued Guardian Soldier abruptly let out a harrowing scream, the very instant the brutalizing Entity had at last managed to make physical impact against her with another one of its sizzling attacks she'd tried to dodge once more, however _this_ time in vain.

She immediately fell onto the ground, her lithe body overwhelmingly wracked with palpable agony, gingerly clutching at her red-clothed abdomen where she'd been hit, which was now partially bare, scorched and bleeding _profusely_.

Gasping within sharp, labored intervals, Sailormars wearily lifted her raven colored head to look back at her ever silent opponent, who had at last decided to cease within its barrage of attacks, although the both of its hands continued to be illuminated with the white hot crackling and sparks of merciless lightning.

Her brown eyes then immediately began to widen within immeasurable trepidation as she watched it slowly approach, raising its right arm towards her as it did so. She quickly turned her head away as she braced herself for what she was certain was going to be yet another painful blast, when an unexpected, although now quite _familiar_ voice rang out from behind her. . . .

* * *

" _No!_ " Will suddenly found herself shouting instinctively, practically at the top of her lungs, towards the silver and black tinted, diabolical creature standing before both she and a crumpled over, blatantly wounded Sailormars.

The redhead had only just excited from her Junior Suite several minutes prior, upon having at last decided to do so after so many days within captivity. While the long, rather revealing talk she had shared with the shy intellectual really _had_ rejuvenated her spirits a tad, she was still feeling quite on the fence over what to do about her place as a potential Guardian Soldier.

She _still_ felt pretty positive about wanting to permanently abstain from the position, except that _now_ , as a direct result of her conversation with Taranee, the decision no longer seemed as clear cut as before.

It was making Will now feel repeatedly _guilty_ , her desire to reserve her right at a relatively normal life, and honestly made her feel as though even wanting to do so was incredibly selfish and unfair, not only to both Elyon and Taranee, as they, themselves had already seemed to relinquish each of their own . . . but it actually now _also_ seemed suddenly unjust to the people of the _world_ , as well.

And _because_ she suddenly felt this way, now more confused than ever, Will had decided that she could no longer stand being cooked up within her bedroom or living room anymore, and had headed down to the lobby, and then into the hotel's known courtyard, where she'd remembered that a fundraiser about the environment was going to be held.

She'd _needed_ a good distraction, after all, and what better one than a function concerning a topic she was admittedly fond of?

But she hadn't expected it to be anything like _this_.

Will should have suspected something was up, anyhow, when the usually packed lobby area was curiously _empty_ , although she had naturally assumed that it was merely as a result of the ongoing, important affair. But she should have paid better attention to the odd, sort of nagging she'd felt once she'd observed the vacant surroundings, before deciding to readily dismiss it and continue on her way.

Because _now_ , there she was, once again face to face with _another_ threat . . . another _Entity_ , which now looked more than eager to tear into her, as it then seemed to forget all about the injured Taranee-turned-Sailormars.

". . . . G . . . Get _out_ of here! _Run!_ " the red-themed warrior groaned within unmistakable affliction, as she managed to weakly turn her onyx tinted head towards Will, who was now honestly frozen within her spot.

She was actually a bit surprised, in a way, that Sailormars had said that, as Will more so expected her to have instead made an understandably dire request that she transform immediately into Sailorjupiter, despite the basic consensus the pair had reached over her never wanting to do so again.

Will supposed, then, that she should have started to feel relieved that Sailormars did _not_ wish to have her become directly involved . . . except that she _didn't_.

Not even within the slightest.

Perhaps, had it been yesterday morning, instead, right _before_ the girls' extensive talk, or even the day before _that_ , then she most probably would have felt that way, even if she _had_ witnessed the very same scene as the one currently before her.

However, now . . . Will was actually beginning to feel much more thankful that she had remembered to bring her transformation ring with her.

She had only chosen to take along the displeasing piece of jewelry, finally retrieving it from off of the kitchen counter where it had remained for the rest of the previous day, because she honestly planned on disposing of it within one of the many trash receptacles readily located within the hotel.

The thought _had_ crossed her mind to perhaps simply return it to _Elyon_ , once the two saw one another again upon her decided return to school on Monday, although that particular act would not have been _quite_ as prodigious by comparison.

But now, she was increasingly starting to believe that she would not _ever_ be able to enact _either_ scenario. . . .

Taking a shaky step backward, her adrenaline now pumping with a mixture of fear, as well as formerly absent bravery, Will let out a heavy, conclusive exhale, before promptly pulling out her designated Guardian Soldier ring from out of the left side of her jeans pocket.

Seeing this, Sailormars vigorously shook her head within obvious protest.

"N-No, _don't!_ You don't have to do this!" she cried, before wincing within continued affliction, an act which only further strengthened Will's resolve to proceed with what she was about to do.

". . . . I know," was all she said within soft reply, before slowly replacing the silver, enchanted band onto her right ring finger, and fervidly shouted, " _Jupiter Power, Make Up!_ "

* * *

Both Sailormeridian, and Csilla, were doing the very best that they could to make it to the latest cite of an Entity appearance, which this time turned out to be right across the street from the _last_ one, the Garrick Plaza Hotel . . . which _also_ turned out to be where _Will_ had been all along.

Or, at least where she'd turned out to _live_ , evidently.

That had certainly been quite the shock to have learned from the now conscious Csilla, who had suddenly appeared at the dishwater blonde's side only ten minutes or so from when the young girl had parted ways from the curiously brash Caleb.

In between catching her breath, the feline had then promptly begun to alert her of the renewed presence of danger, and how she could sense that Taranee, although already at the scene, seemed to be within great distress.

And so, without hesitation did Elyon transform into her alter-ego state, upon having entered a nearby, secluded alleyway, before immediately breaking out into a feverish sprint.

"I-I . . . I _still_ can't believe that Will was _a lot_ closer than we all thought!" she said in between tired breaths, after Csilla had finished completely filling her in upon everything that Taranee had informed _her_ of yesterday about the once missing redhead. Both she and Csilla continued on within their urgent run, zigzagging in between other back streets upon the feline's suggestion, as doing so would diminish drawing any further attention to themselves, since it was still broad daylight out. "To _think_ that all we had to do was look _right_ across the street from that park where she'd been attacked!"

" _Indeed_ , Sailormeridian!" the grayish-blue cat agreed with a speedy nod, continuing to lead the way within their rapidly approaching destination. "While I was at last beginning to make some _much_ needed headway within breaking through her active, or _subconscious_ block of her powers, courtesy of utilizing her gPhone in order to then locate wherever she'd last kept her transformation ring, it had been _Taranee's_ own ability which had succeeded within finding Will, it seems. If only for that one moment, she was _finally_ able to use her clairvoyant gifts upon command, and used them to figure out within which hotel room Will was residing. . . . I don't honestly believe that yesterday's excursion could have been effectively completed _without_ Taranee's generous assistance. She has _certainly_ come a long way already, indeed. . . ."

Sailormeridian could only nod, a growing, appreciative smile beginning to form upon her face as she silently marveled upon the generally timid girl's accomplishments within the last day. It was honestly surprising to have learned that _Taranee_ had been the one to take the initiative in wanting to search for Will, rather than _Csilla_ , given that the redhead _was_ an absolute stranger to her.

Indeed, she was still a relative stranger to _Sailormeridian_ , as well, but, between the two of them, at least _she_ had actually spent some time with Will, beyond having fought together as fellow Guardian Soldiers.

And having also always been so reserved and reluctant to actively take the helm, at least when it came to social avenues, it seemed, it was all the _more_ astonishing to the blonde that Taranee would have volunteered for such a situation.

_She really_ _is_ _a good friend . . . both to me,_ _and_ _to Will_ , she thought with another smile, counting her blessings to know such a kindhearted individual, just as the Garrick Plaza Hotel had at last come into view within the rapidly decreasing distance. _And now it's_ _my_ _turn to repay the favor . . . just hold_ _on_ _, Taranee. . . ._

* * *

Sailormars couldn't believe what she had just witnessed.

Will had . . . _volitionally_ chosen to become Sailorjupiter once again, after having spent the last several days, _including_ yesterday, even _after_ their insightful discussion shared with one another, of openly _refusing_ the role.

Yet now, there she was, currently within the middle of doing her _own_ best to do battle against the still unharmed Entity.

Sailormars, who had by then managed to make it back onto her feet, however shakily, was currently forced to hang back due to her continued injury which, although still hurting a great deal, had at least ceased within its excessive bleeding.

She was feeling profoundly guilty, just _standing_ there, watching the newly transformed Will continue to duke it out with the similarly powered creature, while all _three_ of them were continually being surrounded by the passed out heap of energy-crippled individuals.

She couldn't let Sailorjupiter face their common enemy alone like that, _especially_ since the good majority of her _own_ attacks, both magically as well as physically, even, were continually being executed rather _poorly_ , as though feeling quite unsure of her capabilities.

And given the extremely trying week that she'd just experienced, Sailormars could not at all blame her.

Still, something _had_ to be done and fast, or else they would _both_ be done for.

_If only we could_ _just_ _figure out how to break through whatever defenses this particular Entity seems to possess_ , she thought within extreme anxiousness, wincing slightly as she gently kept a white gloved hand over her searing wound, now partially blood soaked from having done so. _I hope both Csilla_ _and_ _Sailormeridian are aware that Sailorjupiter and I desperately need assistance. . . ._

As though on cue, and as if she had unknowingly projected her dire thought into their minds through the use of her clairvoyant abilities, perhaps, both Sailors Mars and Jupiter suddenly heard hurried footsteps from behind, as a familiar voice rang out into the atmosphere.

"Sailormars! _S-Sailorjupiter!_ We're here!" the last remaining Guardian Soldier cried out within reassurance as both she and Csilla swiftly approached, before coming to a tired halt at Sailormars's side. The tone within the blonde's voice clearly indicated her utter surprise at seeing the green and pink themed heroine also present, as well, and especially so knee deep within battle. And then her _face_ betrayed her, as well, growing even more flushed than it had been already from her evidently strenuous run, the moment her blue eyes rested upon the raven haired girl's physical condition. "Oh, my _God!_ W-What _happened_ to you, Sailormars? I'm _so_ sorry that I wasn't here sooner!"

Sailormars then weakly smiled at her worrisome comrade, allowing her to gingerly reach out and graze her injured abdomen.

". . . . I'll . . . be all right, Sailormeridian, once this is all over with," she responded with a tiny nod, before turning it towards a still combating Sailorjupiter. "But right now, _Sailorjupiter's_ the one who needs our help . . . although I'm not entirely sure _how_ at the moment. _None_ of my attacks seemed to phase this Entity at _all_ prior to her arrival, and so far _she_ hasn't seemed to be able to land a good hit of her own. . . ."

"Well, we'll just have to _wing_ it as we go along, then!" Sailormeridian remarked with a growing frown of ample concern, before placing herself directly in front of the slightly weakened Sailormars. "I want you to stay _here_ with Csilla, though, while _I_ try to help Sailorjupiter and -"

"- _Ahh!_ " Sailorjupiter suddenly cried out within obvious harm, all three of her companions behind her gasping sharply within alarm as they watched, in horror, as her body was violently thrown back by one of the microphone-based Entity's electrical attacks.

She landed with a harsh thud onto the ground a few feet away from it, and away from the two remaining Guardian Soldiers, leaving her squarely in between both sides.

" _Sailorjupiter!_ " Sailors Meridian, Mars, as well as Csilla all exclaimed simultaneously, before immediately beginning to rush forward to help their comrade. However, as they did so, their continued opponent wasted no time within making yet another move, as it vigorously fired off another one of its ruthless rounds towards each one of _them_ this time.

All three females screamed within avid alarm, as they each did their best to avoid getting hit, with Sailormars naturally having the most difficultly.

". . . . Get . . . get _behind_ me," Sailorjupiter suddenly then muttered, a bit breathlessly, as she slowly rose back onto her feet. While she did seem to be a bit dazed, and with the wind understandably knocked out of her some, she curiously did not seem to be any worse for the wear, despite having received a direct hit from the Entity's electrically charged blows, much within the same way Sailormars had . . . which was _precisely_ why her present realization had come to her within that moment.

" _W-What? Why_ , Sailorjupiter? We can't just -"

"- Just _do_ it! _Now!_ " the redhead cried as she slightly turned her head to look behind her, hotly interrupting a greatly perplexed Sailormeridian, who only then felt that much _more_ bewildered while she, Sailormars, and even Csilla nonetheless obediently did as they were told.

Having been its newfound, primary targets in those current moments, the girls had each led the Entity's powerful string of white hot energy straight towards Sailorjupiter, who merely braced herself as she firmly stood her ground, arms extended out on either side of her within furthered protection.

Her comrades, who now stood slightly cowered behind her just a couple of feet away, abruptly sucked in each of their own breaths as they watched in terror as the Entity's lightning frighteningly converged onto Sailorjupiter's entire body, effortlessly consuming her in the process.

"Sailorjupiter! _No!_ " Sailormeridian instinctively cried, expecting to see the taller girl instantly crumble to the ground within agony, or _worse_ . . . however she did nothing of the sort.

And based upon their lack of reaction, themselves, at least, not as profound as their blonde compatriot, both Csilla _and_ Sailormars did not seem at all surprised by this, as though they were suddenly becoming aware of an unspeakable knowledge _all_ , but Sailormeridian, were aware of.

About the only other individual who _did_ seem to be actively affected by the current state of affairs was the _Entity_ , its once continually collected, although poisonous demeanor now visibly becoming unglued, as it clearly had expected to see Sailorjupiter weaken like before, this time within defeat.

Brown eyes closed tightly, the Guardian Soldier of Jupiter continued to concentrate as avidly as she could, the vile creature's mimicking power steadily snapping and crackling all over her miraculously unharmed body . . . before they suddenly then flew straight open as she unexpectedly shouted, " _Supreme . . . Thunder!_ "

All at once did every last bit of electricity repel itself away from Sailorjupiter's body, growing even brightly within intensity, as the addition of her _own_ lightning based attack seemed to amplify it even more. All three Guardian Soldiers, in _addition_ to Csilla, watched attentively as it sharply continued on within its trajectory, before violently making impact with the greatly taken aback Entity with bone shattering force.

While the _rest_ of them had honestly expected for the lightning to have hit the evil being's black hued body, it had instead catapulted straight into and then through its silvery _head_ , which was precisely where Sailorjupiter had intended for it to make its mark.

"All right, Sailormeridian! _Finish_ it! Aim for its _head_ , and _now_ , while its weakened!" she quickly instructed as she lowered her formerly extended arms, before moving aside for the still astonished, dishwater blonde in order for her to take over.

". . . . R-Right! _Right!_ Okay!" she replied with a slightly distracted nod of her head, before then immediately beginning to focus, as she blindly reached up to gently grasp onto her already glowing, silver tiara upon her forehead. Once again, like the times before this one, she could feel as it magically metamorphosed into its flat, circular boomerang-like state as she took it off, before she quickly then cried, " _Meridian Tiara Boomerang!_ "

Each female, even _including_ Sailormeridian, for a change, watched within ample confidence as her recently released, magical projectile sailed through the air at alarming speed, radiating with fervent volume as it made its intended mark, a direct hit within the greatly incapacitated, moaning and gurgling Entity's already eviscerated forehead.

Even though it was an overall blessed sight, given the victim's evil nature, Sailormeridian couldn't help but to cringe a little just then, as she and the rest of her comrades watched as her tiara-turned-boomerang effortlessly then sliced straight through the Entity's head, splitting it in half within permanent defeat.

The impact had occurred _so_ quickly, that the loathsome creature had not even enough time to attempt getting out of the way, _or_ even to scream, as Sailorjupiter's previous attack had rendered it completely stupefied, and _Sailormeridian's_ final blow robbing it of its _life_.

"You _did_ it, girls! _Well_ done!" Csilla happily cried, the first one to speak after watching the momentarily horrific sight, observing with mounting relief, as the Entity's deceased body quickly then evaporated into thin air and completely out of sight.

She then watched as Sailormeridian waited patiently for her tiara to return to her, before then catching it with near expert precision when it did so a few moments later.

_It appears as though Taranee isn't the_ _only_ _one to have grown some, as well,_ the fluffy feline mused with a growing smile full of esteemed pride, watching as her primary charge replaced the formerly glowing, enchanted item back onto her forehead.

"I didn't even really _do_ a whole lot! It was mainly _Sailormars_ and _Sailorjupiter_ who -" Sailormeridian began with a sheepish grin as she turned around to face her companions gathered around her, before jumping within extraordinary surprise, the moment a new voice unexpectedly bellowed out into the atmosphere and abruptly cut her off.

"- _Damn_ you, Guardian Soldiers! You will _not_ get away this time! _This_ time I _will_ have your heads!"

Gasping within collective alarm, Csilla and all three of her current Guardian Soldiers immediately took a defensive stance the instant each of their eyes rested upon the familiar sight of the villainous, Dark General Deite, who was currently hovering within the air straight above their heads.

That is, familiar to all except Sailorjupiter, whose heart then lurched within her chest at the admittedly intimidating spectacle, however stood her ground, nonetheless.

" _Deite!_ Of _course_ you'd be actively behind all of this!" Sailormars was the first to speak, surprising her comrades as a result, especially with the amount of undeniable hatred filtering into her normally kindhearted voice.

Her formerly scowling face then twisted a pained grimace, as she lightly then clutched at her ever present wound, the applied force within her declarations perhaps having been too much for her to currently handle.

This act immediately forced Sailors Meridian and Jupiter to place themselves before the injured girl within ample safeguarding once more, while Deite, who had been continually fuming up until that moment, curiously relaxed his face a bit just then, as he peered down at his despised opponents.

It was quickly over as soon as it had occurred, and perhaps before any of the Soldiers could have taken notice, for a renewed glower swiftly replaced itself back onto his menacing countenance.

"Who _is_ this guy . . . another _Entity?_ " Sailorjupiter naturally asked with a scowl of her own, keeping herself firmly planted within her spot as she kept her guard up, while she and her fellow compatriots continually glared daggers at the floating man before them.

Before any remaining woman could have responded to correct her, or even Deite, himself, yet _another_ new, disembodied voice then echoed within the air, before its apparent owner suddenly then materialized within a rippled, dark violet mist at the maroon-schemed General's side.

". . . . Indeed, he is _not_ an Entity . . . although he may at times possess the _mind_ of one, I will admit," said the unidentifiable, raven haired, similarly attired young man with a tiny smirk, as he effortlessly levitated within the air with as much ease as Deite, who in that moment seemed to be _far_ less appreciative of the newcomer's _presence,_ than he might have been over the obviously offensive zinger.

"I'd thought that we'd agreed that you would _not_ interfere, Zoi! Or do I need to remind you of the hostile announcement I'd made the previous evening?" the crimson haired man snappily queried, giving the eggplant bedecked individual next to him a seething stare within the corner of his brown colored eyes, before returning his attention back onto the now admittedly perplexed Guardian Soldiers still below him.

". . . . C-Csilla, who is _he?_ " Sailormeridian shakily whispered within inquiry, lightly tilting her head down towards the feline standing next to her as she did so, while keeping her gaze steadily fixated upon the sudden duo before her.

"Oh! Forgive my rudeness! I am _Zoi_ , a fellow Dark General, such as Deite," the black haired former stranger suddenly said within reply to the blonde's question upon having evidently been eavesdropping, before tipping his head a bit within strangely polite greeting. "As I had just been discussing with my compatriot here, I have been awaiting the day when we would all meet with _much_ anticipation . . . _unfortunately_ , however, I'm afraid we will have to cut our premiere encounter short, as Deite and I have no choice but to concede this current victory to you. . . ."

"'N-No choice?' Are you _mad?_ I will do nothing of the sort, _especially_ not when one of their own has evidently been _injured!_ It will make this an _easy_ defeat!" Deite bristly hissed within infuriated disbelief towards the other man's words, shaking a newly clenched fist as he did so.

Zoi merely shook his head at this, before calmly responding.

"True as that may be, my friend, I must remind you that both you _and_ I had had _far_ more pressing matters to intend to," he began with a small nod, gesturing with his left, gloved hand towards the momentarily forgotten sea of formerly assaulted individuals surrounding them all throughout the hotel's courtyard, "and as you can see, those matters have clearly been foiled, as these humans are beginning to awaken, now that your Entity has been destroyed and their energy deplorably returning to each of them as a result. And even _I_ had experienced quite a bit of bad luck, myself, as I was unable to locate the Mystical Star of Threbe amongst the several items the humans had gathered to be evidently auctioned off during their little charitable function here. . . . So, our business here has concluded, Deite; let us return to our Master and report our disheartening failure, and come back _another_ time to better contend with our opponents. . . ."

" _You_ go, Zoi! I'm not leaving until -"

"- _W-Wait!_ The Mystical Star of Threbe? Wh -!"

Before either the boiling over Deite, or a greatly taken aback Csilla could properly conclude their simultaneously uttered sentences, she and her Guardian Soldiers watched as the redhead's far more serene counterpart quickly seized the young man's right arm, before abruptly spiriting the both of them away from the scene.

Feeling absolutely flabbergasted by the unexpected turn of events, Sailors Meridian, Mars and Jupiter were unable to speak, remaining planted within their spots, while the guests of the formerly running environmental fundraiser steadily became more awake all around them.

Seeing this, Csilla, who was also feeling quite befuddled, quickly turned around to face her three pupils and said, hurriedly, "We _mustn't_ stick around any longer, ourselves, girls! Let us get out of here, tend to Sailormars's wound somewhere else, and discuss what's just happened _later!_ "

The trio of Guardian Soldiers only nodded within unanimous consent at the same time Sailorjupiter and Sailormeridian gingerly wrapped an arm around Sailormars within aid, before then turning on each of their heels to swiftly vacate the now safe premises before being seen.

* * *

". . . . How does _that_ feel? Is it too tight?" Elyon softly asked Taranee, worriedly gazing up at her while simultaneously continuing to secure the abdominal bandage she had retrieved from the First Aid kit Elyon's family always kept within their house, which was precisely where she and each of her civilian-returned companions now were, a near half an hour later.

It was a good stroke of luck that her parents were currently out running a few errands, based upon the brief note they had left for their daughter upon their kitchen counter, otherwise there would have been quite a few questions headed her way, most, if not _all_ of them she would have likely been unable to answer.

It was also another good thing for the continually wounded _Taranee_ , as heading up to Will's Junior Suite upon having fled the scene of former chaos within her hotel's courtyard had naturally been out of the question in that moment, in addition it had been to have gone to any hospital or to her _own_ house, as the distance to either would have been a bit longer by comparison.

However, while understandable, a visit to the emergency room would have been _unnecessary_ within the intellectual girl's special case, and she softly smiled within reassurance towards the bothered blonde as she could already begin to feel the reason why.

". . . . N-No, thank you. . . . I don't think I'll even need to keep this bandage on for very long at all, as I'm starting to feel _a lot_ better now, already," Taranee revealed with a small blush, as she could then feel one of Elyon's slightly clammy hands briefly brush against the remainder of the girl's currently exposed torso.

Elyon blinked within fleeting curiosity, more so over the raven haired girl's statement than her sudden abashment, before she then caught on.

"O-Oh, _right!_ I'd forgotten that we seem to be able to heal, like, _freakishly_ fast and stuff, now that we're Guardian Solders! Thank goodness for _that_ , huh?" she asked with a relieved giggle, before lowering her hands away from Taranee's still a bit tender stomach, upon having finished her work. She then rose to her feet from where the girl patiently stood, and turned to face the remainder of her present, first time guests within her family's otherwise quiet home. "And . . . _speaking_ of now being Guardian Soldiers . . . um . . . does this mean. . . . That is, seeing as you were actually there and willingly helping Taranee fight before Csilla and I got there . . . er -"

"- _Yes_ , Elyon. . . . Well, I mean . . . I'm still not honestly sure about everything's that's happened within the last few days, and . . . _definitely_ not entirely certain that I'm completely _all right_ with it, but . . . I _do_ know that defending those who cannot do so for themselves is the right thing to do, no matter _how_ I might personally feel about it," Will quietly interrupted within reply at her chosen place near the entrance to the Brown's bedroom hallway on just the outskirts of the cozy kitchen, awkwardly propping herself against the white colored wall with both of her hands stuffed into the pockets of her jeans.

She then looked away from each female's attentively focused eyes, suddenly feeling naked at the sudden and increasing attention being placed upon her.

At this, Elyon let out a rather loud squeal, quite blatantly excited over the redhead's evident decision to officially join their growing team once and for all. She then quickly rushed over to the unsuspecting girl before she could stop herself, and immediately enveloped Will within a literally breath-taking embrace.

" _Ooooh_ , that makes me so _happy_ to hear, Will! You don't even _know!_ " she cried within ample jubilation, applying more and more pressure within her vice-like, physical claim upon the avidly taken aback tomboy, who then began to sputter and gasp desperately for much needed air.

"I-I . . . I-I think I . . . h-have a pretty good . . . _i-idea_ , Elyon!" Will managed to squeak out in between labored breaths, her naturally tanned face increasingly growing red as a result, at the same time that Elyon's followed suit upon then realizing what she was doing.

She promptly let the taller girl go, backing away as she did so and giving her an abundant grin of apology.

" _O-Oh!_ I'm _sooo,_ so sorry, Will! I was just -"

"- I-I know, Elyon . . . I k-know," Will cut the blonde off with a weak smile of her own, before leaning forward a bit within her spot and beginning to cough a little bit while catching her breath. "And I thought _I_ was strong. . . ."

At this, all four females began to chuckle within lighthearted amusement, before Elyon moved over to the refrigerator in order to serve her two guests a few beverages out of polite courtesy. As she did so, Csilla, who had been sitting next to it, then jumped onto the kitchen counter in order to get a better view of each of her pupils, before then decidedly seizing the reins of the general conversation.

"I . . . can imagine how profoundly . . . taxing all of this really _must_ be for you, Will . . . and I truly _am_ sorry for it . . . _both_ for admittedly wanting to coerce you into joining us straightaway, _and_ for not taking the time to _properly_ understand your reluctance in doing so, as well," she said within sheepish apology, lightly bowing her tiny, furry head within furthered abashment. She then turned her attention onto her remaining Guardian Soldiers, and smiled faintly at the both of them. "And . . . I must also apologize to the two of _you_ , as well, for having tried to essentially manipulate you into taking my side, at all costs, it seemed. . . . If we - If _I_ were to continue acting within such a manner, then I would be no better than the very enemies we are each meant to unite against. . . ."

Elyon, who had just then finished distributing the glass bottles of cold apple juice she had retrieved from the refrigerator to her human friends, before then placing the small saucer of milk she had also prepared for her animal companion onto the counter for her, shook her blonde colored head before smiling warmly.

"No, Csilla . . . _I'm_ sorry that I didn't at least _try_ to understand _your_ point of view about Will - About the Guardian Soldiers in _general_ , and what it means to be one," she stated within returned acknowledgment, reaching out to gently stroke the bluish-gray feline's naturally soft fur as she did so. "It was just . . . _hard_ , I guess, you know? Not knowing where you were, Will, and if you were safe. . . . The _last_ thing I wanted to concern myself with was each of our shared, new duties as protectors of the planet . . . and of our unidentified princess. . . ."

"No . . . I know, Elyon . . . thanks to _Taranee_. I mean, I'd already had at least a _small_ feeling that my not having shown up to school again, _or_ making any sort of attempt to contact any of you again _would_ have made you pretty worried, based upon what I'd already observed about you . . . I mean, about your generally caring nature," Will started with a brief nod, before beginning to blush gently over her compliment about the petite girl's goodhearted nature, of which the redhead was becoming increasingly thankful that it blatantly extended even to the likes of her. "But, like I said, thanks to Taranee and her coming to see me and filling me in about everything . . . and _more_ , I now know for sure. . . . I'm sorry, though, for having put you - _All_ of you within that position . . . I just couldn't handle anything anymore after that night had happened, and ended up just completely _shutting down_ as a result. . . ."

"So we gathered, Will, seeing as I was unable, for the longest, to locate you through my connective sensing abilities I possess for each of you as Guardian Soldiers. . . . The shock of it all, _and_ your desire to forget all about it must have been _truly_ powerful, more so, even, than your own innate powers as Sailorjupiter, that you'd somehow managed to suppress them altogether, with or _without_ having realized," Csilla commented once more upon the unexpected event with an understanding nod, causing the redhead to slowly raise her slender eyebrows within seemingly renewed curiosity over it, while _Elyon_ then began to do the same, however over what the tall tomboy could have possibly meant when she had said "and more" a few moments ago.

She looked to the continually silent, recently mended Taranee, who had long since lowered the undershirt of her school uniform and carefully taken a seat at the Brown's kitchen table with her fruity beverage in hand, and then caught sight of the curious rouge now beginning to flood her caramel hued visage.

_Whatever_ _she'd said to Will to ultimately convince her to rejoin our group must have been pretty epic_ , Elyon thought with an appreciative simper, feeling all the _more_ lucky to possess such a friend as she.

"I'm just glad to know that you're in one piece, more than anything else, Will . . . _and_ that we're still friends - Er, or _are_ friends again, however the case may be," she remarked with a growing smile, this time transferring it onto Will, who timidly returned the gesture, before both girls finally began to open up each of their containers of apple juice.

No one said a word after this, simply allowing the sudden outbreak of silence to comfortably claim them, as they each enjoyed both their much needed beverages, as well as their renewed safety. After having allowed a few more moments to pass, Csilla, who had already managed to down a good majority of her refreshing milk, quietly licked her furry lips clean before speaking once more.

". . . . _Now_ , then. While it _is_ a good thing that our enemies have yet to locate the Mystical Star of Threbe, neither have _we_ . . . and with this latest addition of that _Zoi_ character, I'm afraid we will have to _double_ our efforts at retrieving it _first_ , as well as finally finding our princess," she stated with a serious frown upon straightening up her posture once again, moving away a bit from her given dish.

At this, Taranee slowly nodded, as she carefully set down her chilled glass bottle back onto the kitchen table, before finally opening her mouth to speak, herself.

"True . . . but we still appear to outnumber them, three to two," she began with a studious air, reaching up to gently tuck a stray strand of her dark, French-braided hair behind her left ear, "so I'm _sure_ that Will, Elyon and I will be able to effectively handle the task at hand. . . ."

Elyon promptly did a double take upon hearing this from her place in front of the refrigerator, although it had not been over the reserved girl's curious confidence in regards to the trio's capabilities as recently united Guardian Soldiers. . . .

"D-Did . . . did you just call me and Will by our first names, rather than referring to us as ' _Miss Brown_ ' and ' _Miss Vandom_ ' as you always have so far, Taranee?" she asked within understandable disbelief, although a rather generous grin then began to spread straight across her face.

She watched as Taranee, who apparently hadn't seemed to immediately realize this change for herself just yet, gasped softly within surprise, raising a hand up to her lips a moment, before shyly looking back at her.

"I-I . . . suppose I _did_ ," the now profusely blushing intellectual gently replied, before giving both Elyon, as well as an amused looking Will a light smile of her own.

Elyon looked from the raven haired girl, to the redhead, and back again within observation, before softly chuckling.

". . . . I guess that must have been _some_ talk the two of you had. . . ."

**\- End of Act 5**


	7. ℓ Act 6 (Part I) ℓ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--------
> 
> This chapter was created/written in February 2012, and updated/posted in August 2014.
> 
> \--------

Within silence did she watch, purposefully far out of the way and carefully hidden from view, largely in thanks to the lending blanket of shadow evening naturally possessed.

It had been a little while since she had done this, unknowingly observing from afar and always at the ready to intervene if need be . . . and she was admittedly pleasantly surprised to see that lately, it no longer seemed necessary, not even right at that very moment, as she continued to studiously gaze upon the blonde haired Guardian Soldier bravely sparring against the latest of the Dark Kingdom's slightly formidable Entities within an empty supermarket parking lot.

"She certainly has come a long way quite a bit, already, Sailor V," a vaguely gravelly, deep voice quietly remarked low at her side, breaking through the previously reserved silence between them for the past several minutes or so.

She then began to smile slowly, and softly, closing her baby blue colored eyes from behind the dark lavender, Venetian styled eye mask placed snugly against her milk and honeyed face.

Regardless of how, at times, it became a tad bothersome, there was nonetheless always something very comforting about how no matter what she happened to be thinking of, he would somehow just . . . _know_ precisely what it was.

Not even her own family members or select friends could ever lay claim to such a remarkable, truthfully bonding capability, and she had known the majority of _them_ for most of her young life, unlike the mere year and a few months she thus far had the pleasure (and sometimes, admitted _displeasure_ ) of knowing _him_ . . . within this lifetime, at least. . . .

". . . . I suppose it goes without saying by now that that was my sentiments, exactly, Napoleon . . . but, since I also know how much you secretly revel within practically knowing me like the back of your paw, I'll let you enjoy your moment," she, at least within her present guise, known as Sailor V, lightly teased, reopening her eyes and sliding them down to her right, just in time to both see and feel her small, furry companion affectionately rub his round, soot colored face against her bare, strong shin.

As serious as he could be, nearly as serious as she, herself (or rather, had now become), it really didn't take much to flatter the young Chartreux breed, especially if the compliments were coming from her, with whom he was conveniently most attached out of anyone else within her household.

_Although, I suppose that's only natural, considering that he and I are partners against the seemingly never-ending battle against Evil_ , Sailor V mused with another smile, before it quickly faded upon further reflection, and her eyes shifted back over to the still ongoing fight before her.

In fact, the struggle in question was a perfectly timed example of just how much of an honest nuisance all of this was becoming.

How _tedious_.

And yet, at the same time, it was an all too important reminder over just how fragile and precious life truly can be, and how the various things within it can never be taken for granted. . . .

_As a 'Soldier for Justice,' I both know and understand this all too well, and will never give up or give in while continuing to protect this planet . . . but . . . sometimes . . . this time . . . as a normal girl, that hasn't always been very easy to reconcile with_ , Sailor V silently admitted to herself, momentarily gazing down upon her current, and now all too familiar appearance as though to further drive the point home.

There she stood, clad within a white, cropped Baby-T with powder blue and carrot colored bands adorning the ends of each sleeve, while a large, dark lavender hued bouquet bow rested gently against her bosom. An almost hypnotic, and mysterious oval shaped jewel of the same shade was latched securely within its center, much in the same way a second and third identical jewel graced the center of her otherwise bare forehead, and also the middle of her smooth, ivory tinted choker around her slender neck.

Sailor V nearly let out a faint giggle at the abrupt feeling of the pair of long, slightly thick ribbons of her front bow gently rubbing against her exposed, washboard stomach, tickling her in the process. She then fleetingly wondered if there could not have been a direct say upon how this particular guise of hers would appear, at least whenever it came to her evening patrols about the city.

To be fair, she had always traditionally been one for flare and being the center attention, more so prior to her life altering moment of becoming Sailor V for the first time . . . but still. It could become rather chilly at times during the night, even within the state of Florida, and especially now that it was Fall.

So surely some sort of compromise could be had with her feline guardian, so that she would no longer have to wear such a revealing top any longer . . . _or_ , at the very least, not the honestly at times flimsy feeling one tiered skirt she also currently had on.

If nothing else, though, Sailor V did at least always enjoy the specific garb's overall visual design, what with the v shaped waist bands of the same shade of powder blue and soft orange, just like the sleeves of her top, as well as the linear edging along the very ends of the skirt which repeated the returned orange hue.

_It_ did not leave much to the imagination, either, of course, and with the long legs her respectably tall stature as a young woman granted onto her, that was saying a whole lot.

This briefly made her wonder how _Sailorjupiter_ , in particular, was currently coping with a similar plight of her own, although Sailor V imagined that it probably wasn't too bad for her, by comparison, as the redhead, like her fellow compatriots, Sailormars and Sailormeridian, at least possessed an extra tier to their own skirts, with Meridian being the 'luckiest,' by possessing three in total.

Letting out a soft sigh at this, before swiftly dismissing her frivolous thoughts, _especially_ during such an always possible life or death situation continually playing out before her, Sailor V slowly drew up her elbow length, orange, and single banded gloved arms together to rest them against her midriff within gathering warmth.

". . . . Doesn't help much that they're both fingerless, in addition to having two heart shaped cutouts upon each arm, huh, Doll?" she could hear Napoleon quietly ask in reference to the overall unique design of her milky white gloves, an obvious smile within his voice as he once again effortlessly guessed her present ruminations.

Sailor V instantly felt herself beginning to physically warm up and take comfort at the sound of the specific term of endearment the wise, at times cheeky feline would frequently refer to her as (one which used to drive her up the wall at hearing, mainly due in part over how far much _younger_ and immature it made her sound like) . . . however, quite normally it was uttered to her whenever she was within her civilian form.

It appeared to be an occurrence the two simultaneously had taken note of, as Napoleon could then catch his sole charge abruptly raise one of her golden, perfectly shaped eyebrows high above her protective mask, at the same time that Sailor V inclined her blonde head down to the ground in time to witness the whole of the male cat's fur beginning to stand slightly on end.

After having spent the last year within his company, nearly twenty-four-seven, at that, the young heroine had become somewhat of an expert on what Napoleon's various body movements and reactions meant, and this one in particular she was extra familiar with . . . especially during moments whenever _she_ was within a teasing, or affectionate mood of her own.

It was sheer, and utter _embarrassment_.

If it were at all possible for her to be able to see it happening through his thick, dark fur, in addition to the current dimness of their surrounding area, Sailor V was fairly positive that she would have also witnessed a sharp reddening of Napoleon's cheeks in that moment, as well.

She tried not to dwell upon it too often, simply due to the fact that it was otherwise . . . _disturbing_ , really, all things considered, and Lord knew that the cat, himself, would habitually go out of his way to make certain it was never brought up, let alone _actively_ discussed, but Sailor V was still well aware of Napoleon's not too secret affections toward her . . . and she was also well aware that he knew this.

Perhaps it was something, a feeling, which had always been there for him even before, back then . . . and maybe, even then, it had never been fully addressed.

As much as she recalled of the time now, that was the one note which was lacking from her memory, which led her to believe that perhaps it was a recent development for the otherworldly feline.

Nevertheless and, quite frankly, despite who she truly was and what she stood for, matters of the heart were simply not of her interest at the moment . . . or, at _all_ , if Destiny continued to have its way with her, that is.

She knew they both understood this all too well, and, for the most part, for her, at least, it was something she accepted, more and more, as time went on and the deeper she delved into her newfound life as a crime, now _creature_ fighting heroine.

And, as a _leader_ , she had to and _would_ do, through any means necessary, whatever it took to ensure the safety of all, and prevent Fate from catching up to them, again.

Because there was nothing else for it.

Her own, _personal_ fate had already been written. . . .

The brief urge to lightly poke fun at her partner at his endearing slip up swiftly came and went, as the familiar onslaught of pensive thoughts over everything she had personally experienced and recovered in memory as a Soldier returned to her once more.

Silence eclipsed the pair once again, and as thankful as Napoleon personally felt in that moment for it, he bravely pushed himself to be the first one to break it once more.

Although he could naturally sense his charge's clouding disposition, something which sadly occurred all too often, he'd noticed, and wished to comfort the girl in some, albeit _futile_ way, he knew, he instead chose to steer the conversation onto the ongoing situation at hand before them both.

". . . . Don't you think it's about time you should intervene to lend a hand, now?" Napoleon asked hesitantly at first, before his own personal mood already fell back into place within the usual, serious manner whenever it concerned such affairs . . . _especially_ whenever it involved Sailormeridian. . . .

He looked away from the girl in question in the fair distance, who now seemed to be losing her edge within the battle against the seemingly tireless Entity, and then peered back up at a now rather stoic Sailor V next to him.

She had also already returned her focus back onto the lone Guardian Soldier, and merely shook her head gently as her only response for a few moments.

She instead appeared to be far more keen upon taking in every last moment, last movement, of Sailormeridian's choices of action, or even lack thereof a few times, she'd caught. Her steadied gaze upon the overall scene had become so intense that it was almost as though she were attempting to impress her very will upon the other girl.

After another moment of pause, Sailor V suddenly smiled slowly, and jostled her head back and forth once more within disagreement.

". . . . No . . . I think she is doing just fine on her own, Napoleon. She _has_ come a long way, in all honesty . . . they _all_ have, once as a duo with Sailormars, and now as a _trio_ , with the addition of Sailorjupiter, after having successfully convinced her to become the Guardian Soldier she rightfully is once and for all," she stated calmly, lightly beginning to tap one of her soft blue colored wedges against the slightly broken gravel beneath her. "Besides, is this not precisely what we both want them all, _Sailormeridian_ , especially, to do in the first place? To get stronger on her own and to grow?"

It was Napoleon's turn for his copper colored eyes to grow serious as he nodded, taking a step forward away from his charge, and slender tail high within the air within intrigue.

"True. And at least we've already been able to observe the three of them working rather well as a cohesive team, even with their individual, personal qualms in their lives still being a factor for them each," he commented within a matter-of-fact tone, his tail swishing slowly back and forth through the surrounding atmosphere. "Still, I _firmly_ believe that the day we are waiting for will soon arrive. . . ."

Sailor V only nodded at this, although her body did tense up slightly, something she secretly cursed herself for allowing her increasingly pointless emotions to take root once more, if only for a moment's passing.

She then let out another mental obscenity, as she felt Napoleon's dark golden eyes resting upon her again, their apparent connection activating itself once more, for his facial expression had softened into one of honest compassion.

_Shit . . . don't you dare do it_ , Sailor V thought acridly, just as Napoleon opened his mouth to speak.

". . . . V . . . do you personally believe that everything will turn out differently this time? That . . . you _hope_ it might?" he asked timidly, the both of them immediately regretting his having done so, though for different reasons.

He knew that he was absolutely in for it now, and had most assuredly crossed the line, as it was honestly one of the first times he had ever outright asked her such a question.

Well, no.

He had several times before, ever since having first found her a year prior; however, _this_ time he had tacked on a double meaning to his inquiry . . . and they both knew it, which was precisely the reason for the currently unbridled emotions which had always been carefully tempered within her to now bubble over.

"Our mission is as it's _always_ been, Napoleon! And my _duty_ , especially, has always been most important, above all else! _Neither_ shall waver!" Sailor V snapped, a bit too harshly for her own taste and sounding dangerously more so like her _past_ self, simply due to the fact that she did not wish to reveal any further reaction to such a topic any more than she unfortunately already had.

Napoleon said nothing to this, and Sailor V knew he would not have, as he regrettably always seemed rather sympathetic upon the matter, in spite of his _own_ emotions.

There was nothing more _to_ say.

And besides which, then _and_ now, pity was something the young woman absolutely could not tolerate, especially if it were being doled out within _her_ honor.

She would be having none of that.

It was what it was, and maybe, just maybe, in _another_ lifetime, it _would_ turn out differently.

Until such time, she would simply do her sworn obligation . . . like always.

As though on cue to such thoughts, both Sailor V and Napoleon's swiftly shifted back onto a now sharply screaming Sailormeridian, who'd just then gotten blasted back away from the wolf-like Entity in that moment, and briefly collided against three stray shopping carts nearby before falling face forward onto the hard, and cooling ground.

Rather than feel immense dread and fear for the now apparently down and out Guardian Soldier, Sailor V merely let out a gruff exhale as she then took a resolute step forward, finally uprooting herself from the place she'd been standing in for what honestly felt like a millennium.

". . . . I suppose I'd spoken too soon about not needing to assist her, after all," she delivered firmly, and with vague disappointment, although secretly she was quite pleased for the newfound opportunity to enter the fray.

She positively _needed_ the outlet, now, more than _ever_ , to blow off some steam.

And for the first time in quite a while, it was going to be _fun_ for a change.

However, it appeared as though once again Fate had other plans in store for her, for just as Sailor V was about to fully emerge from the shadows and cross the fair distance between Sailormeridian and herself in order to assist, she'd caught a familiar, admittedly aggravating glimpse of flowing ebony within the corner of her eye swiftly descending onto the scene ahead.

". . . . _Damn it_ ," Sailor V cursed aloud within furthered annoyance, taking a step backward to once again fully conceal herself within the evening's natural shroud.

Both hers, as well as Napoleon's eyes quickly narrowed within disapproval at the unfolding sight before them, as they watched a seemingly merely dazed, although thankfully unharmed Sailormeridian slowly rise to her feet through the aid of what appeared to be a young man dressed within a black tuxedo, and a red lined, black cape draped behind his back.

"It's _him_ , again. . . ." Napoleon remarked darkly, his tail growing a tad puffier within irritation without even realizing, as he and Sailor V watched the ongoing exchange occur between the other blonde and this individual . . . something which was evidently a mutual unwanted happening for the feline and his charge.

Despite the man's newfound presence, both Sailor V and Napoleon were at least pleased to see that it had plainly been enough to stir whatever remaining resolve Sailormeridian had left within her to win her solo fight against the beastly Entity, for before it could land another good, solid strike against her once more, her now deployed and magically infused tiara swiftly put an end to that just then.

Sailormeridian, her new companion and, unbeknownst to them both, the concealed pair in the distance all watched within satisfaction as her shape shifting tiara effortlessly sliced through the now screeching Entity like butter, severing its life instantaneously within the process and causing it to slowly vanish, before the mystical object already made its way back to its rightful owner.

"Impressive . . . enough," Sailor V softly complimented within approval, even managing to smile faintly upon witnessing the pigtailed girl unflinchingly catch her currently boomerang shaped tiara within her left hand, almost without even looking, before calmly replacing it back against her forehead after it'd magically returned to its original shape.

"Well . . . at the _very_ least, he does at times contribute to the overall success of the Guardian Soldiers' battles," Napoleon murmured thoughtfully, although his previous frown continued to remain in place as he peered up at the lengthy girl at his side.

Sailor V's own gaze, however, lay steadily fixated upon the couple before her, and upon their blatantly coy, yet connective interaction now within the aftermath of Sailormeridian's fight.

"You know as well as I that that isn't exactly something to be earning any sort of _praise_ , nor encouragement over, Napoleon, _least_ of all from either one of us," she stated tensely, her light blue eyes flickering with an unspoken sort of foresight.

Just then, both Sailor V and her feline guardian watched with mounting stress as the tuxedo clad male then abruptly fled the scene . . . with an obviously flustered Sailormeridian charging after him without hesitation.

". . . . _Evidently_ , it will take some doing to convince her to stay away from him, I see," the masked female remarked with a slowly expelled sigh and quick resolve, before swiftly removing herself from her steady spot once more to follow after and then intercept the other girl's path in time.

Napoleon merely watched his ward take off on ahead of him, her free flowing sea of blonde hair hypnotically cascading behind her, and her dangling, orange and heart shaped earrings now beginning to reflect against the suddenly emerging moonlight overhead.

His previously hardened expression began to crack and melt into one of profound commiseration, as well as reflection.

". . . . If only everything _could_ have been different . . . for us _all_ ," he whispered weakly, allowing himself another moment of solitude, before shifting his focus back onto more important matters as he quickly began running after the retreating trio.

* * *

At first, it had appeared to be a carefree weekend, one sorely welcomed by Elyon, as that past school week had been rather rigorous.

Even the various Entities which had thus far been sent by the Guardian Soldiers' still mostly unknown enemies seemed _sympathetic_ in theory, if that were at all possible, as there hadn't really been too many attacks deployed upon the unsuspecting citizens of Heatherfield, either . . . at least, none as troublesome as the one implemented a full week prior, upon the occasion of Will Vandom's official joining and acceptance as a Soldier, that is.

Since that time, it had actually started to become, dare Elyon even think it, sort of _fun_ 'fighting the good fight' alongside her two newest friends. It had certainly become a good deal less _stressful_ , anyway, what with Will's added physical strength and severely lethal lightning based abilities as Sailorjupiter.

Then again, fighting as a Guardian Soldier had automatically started to become less of a burden the moment _Taranee_ had joined the fray a little prior to Will as Sailormars, what with her vast intellect and natural analytical capabilities, in addition to her formidable flame-wielding strikes.

By _comparison_ , the only thing _Elyon_ had to offer under the guise of Sailormeridian was . . . well, general _verbal_ support, really.

To her own credit, she _was_ growing a bit more competent as a combatant, _certainly_ a lot better now than she had been upon the occasion of _her_ first transformation as a Guardian Soldier. All the same, although she did not wish to draw attention to it to her companions, _especially_ not Csilla, Heaven forbid, Elyon had to admit to herself that she was starting to feel a little bit . . . _useless_ as a fellow teammate.

It wasn't honestly _that_ big of a deal, or at least one she was attempting to keep as such, but outside of her 'throwing-a-glowing-tiara-like-a-boomerang' move (which she was becoming pretty darn good at, if she could allow herself a single upside to her overall performance), Elyon was starting to feel as though she did not honestly contribute much to their Guardian Soldier trio . . . and _she_ was supposedly the _leader_ , at that.

That's why she'd decided on her own that the very next time another 'Entity Emergency' occurred, as she was beginning to refer to them, she would answer the call on her own and handle it, herself.

" _But you're all meant to be working as a team, as a collective unit!"_ Elyon was sure Csilla would have drummed into her head had she had ever become privy to the girl's private agenda.

Lord knew it had been more or less stated on a near daily basis since the pair had first met.

And true, Elyon had been the first of the three known Guardian Soldiers to have jumped on board with the important notion, which was part of the main reason why Will's reluctance to be recruited by them had struck her so deeply in the first place.

So, she was well aware of the a bit _more_ than blatant contradiction she wished to implement.

_Regardless_ , in a backwards sort of way, this was Elyon still honoring her teamwork commitment . . . in _her_ mind, at least. By taking on more responsibilities during solo battles and hopefully getting stronger as a result, she would no longer at times feel like a _burden_ to Will and Taranee, and thus make their _own_ contributing output less strenuous.

Seemed simple enough.

Now, the only problem left was actually encountering an Entity to combat on her own, and to defeat it before Csilla could alert her remaining Guardian Soldiers.

It _would_ figure that the very moment Elyon was becoming much, _much_ more active and willing as Sailormeridian would be the moment 'business' had become light.

Since the previous Saturday's Entity engagement, there had only been two other incidents to speak of, and both had been soundly handled by the _three_ of them.

At least, on the flip side, while Elyon had yet been awarded an opportunity to progress singularly as a Guardian Soldier, the opportunity to hang out with and progress as mutual friends with both Will _and_ Taranee had increased, and was actually going rather well, thus far.

Between the two, Elyon had been able to see Will every day that week, thanks to their shared lunchtime at school, although majority of said time had usually been tainted by Elyon's separate companions, such as the Grumper Twins repeatedly asking what it was the blonde saw in "such a brute like her," with Will shying away from the invitation to eat together as a result.

And so, for now, at least, that really only left _The Musical Star Café_ as the one place Elyon could freely be around Will (or that Will would willingly allow within open public) without having to deal with the unwanted stress and comments of those around them, and also where she was certain the redhead would honestly relax and freely show more sides to herself.

Granted, it had been a bit tricky at first for Elyon to time her visits that week, so that she could go there to meet up with both Will and Taranee within their secret headquarters undetected by anyone who might know her, and also fit in enough time to still go there with her _other_ friends, as well, like _Alchemy_ , especially.

That was one thing the young blonde had yet to figure out since having become Sailormeridian: How to properly and effectively merge her new life, or at least, her new _friends_ , anyway, with her _old_ ones, so that all of them would get along and none would feel left out.

And it was quickly becoming pretty dire, because she was beginning to take notice of the difference within the auburn haired girl's overall disposition in that past week, and the emotional distance there suddenly seemed to be between the two longtime friends.

Elyon had already felt bad enough that she had to continually lie to and mislead Alchemy the way that she'd been for the last several weeks, when there had never once been _any_ secrets between them throughout the entire scope of their near twelve year friendship.

It was honestly eating her up inside, to be trapped in such a way where she was eternally sworn to secrecy, it seemed like, and hide away a now very large, and undeniably unique part of herself from someone who had always been there for her, and was honestly more like _family_ than just a friend.

That was precisely why Elyon had been looking forward to this weekend, so that she could finally spend some one on one time with Alchemy. Maybe do some shopping, go to a movie, and then later, have an old fashioned sleepover, the way they always had for most of their lives . . . up until recently.

However, as luck, _her_ luck as of late, would have it, this just happened to be the weekend Alchemy's parents had decided to go visit some of her cousins, leaving Elyon to hang dry where attempting to mend the growing rift between the two girls was concerned.

Sulking within her lost opportunity, Elyon had then tried to turn her attention onto her other remaining companions, but they, too, all had previous engagements of their own, familial and otherwise.

She would have called up Taranee or Will and asked if they might have felt like doing something with her, but she didn't wish to suddenly become a bit of overkill for either one of them, given the amount of time the trio had spent together earlier in the week.

And so, there Elyon was, alone on that Saturday evening, with her parents out upon another one of their usual weekend dates, and Csilla apparently for once acting like a normal feline, as she had simply expressed a desire to "go on a nightly prowl" before promptly jumping out of the girl's bedroom window an hour or so after sunset.

Although initially feeling quite lonely, even a bit neglected for a little while, Elyon had effortlessly managed to snap out of her funk the moment she'd decidedly raised her CD player's volume to the max, and allowed Cornelia Hale's endearingly familiar music to blast throughout her empty household, while heading into the kitchen to make a few snacks for herself as her comfort food.

And then, just like that, just as the young teenager was about to settle back inside of her bedroom for a mini movie marathon consisting of all of her personal favorite romantic comedies, the brief Entity 'dry spell' was over.

Just a few houses down, a right turn, and across the street from where the Browns personally resided was a popularly frequented supermarket, where the family would often go to pick up a few quick groceries, or Elyon, and sometimes Martin, as well, would also go to spoil their dinner by secretly purchasing a sweet treat or two . . . and _now_ , it was apparently where the latest victim for Deite, or that new guy, Zoi, or the _both_ of them was presently being attacked.

Elyon wasn't honestly sure _how_ she had been suddenly aware that there was indeed an Entity nearby this time, given that every other time it had been Csilla to previously bring it to her personal attention, if Taranee had not done so on her own, a luxury of being psychic.

Perhaps it could possibly be due to the _hopeful_ fact that Elyon's powers and capabilities as a Guardian Soldier were evolving, after all . . . or, as the more _likely_ culprit, simply because the vicinity had been so very near this time around.

Whatever the reason, every bone within Elyon's body and gut instinct was telling her that she needed to head out to that _Public's Supermarket_ to investigate, post haste.

And then, the next twelve to fifteen minutes had become an honest blur to Elyon, now transformed as Sailormeridian, as her hunch had been spot on, arriving just in time to stop what appeared to be a sort of canine inspired Entity from nearly impaling an apparent _Public's_ employee just as they were exiting the now closed store.

Although it had been at times difficult, certainly frustrating, and even potentially life threatening, Sailormeridian had not backed down from the one on one battle, and had refused to yield to its admittedly intimidating might. She could have pulled out her gPhone at any time to wisely enlist the assistance of Sailors Mars and Jupiter, and indeed, she honestly _should_ have, especially during the thankfully brief moments when the extremely savage Entity had gained the upper hand.

However, something inside of her just felt like she'd be all right on her own, as though she were almost being watched over by someone. . . .

And perhaps Sailormeridian had been correct to feel that way, as the very moment her menacing foe had managed to land a regrettably sturdy blow to her chest, causing her to abruptly sail blindly backwards and into a trio of stray shopping carts within that now empty supermarket parking lot, she'd suddenly felt a pair of strong arms and a warm body descending upon her within (admittedly delayed) protection.

She hadn't needed to lift her face from off of the cool, gravely ground as she had landed in order to know whom it could have been.

Somehow, without even trying, she _always_ knew.

And then somehow, a reason she would very much like to one day become privy to, _he'd_ always seemed to know whenever she was sorely in need of assistance . . . or even rescuing.

_Tuxedo Kamen_.

Sailormeridian knew next to nothing about that young, masked man, outside of the apparent fact that he was someone who was now the Guardian Soldiers' added competition for the found location and retrieval of The Mystical Star of Threbe, and yet, at the same time, someone who'd continually come to their collective, although sometimes singular aid.

However, the one thing Sailormeridian _was_ positively certain about was that Tuxedo Kamen was not also their _enemy_ \- _Her_ enemy.

No matter _what_ Csilla had said.

No matter what Tuxedo Kamen, _himself_ , had said.

Within her mind, within her _heart_ , anyone who could and would consciously put themselves at personal risk for someone they did not even know, _simply_ to gain an edge within finding some piece of jewelry could not be evil.

A bit foolish and possibly _insane_ , perhaps, but definitely not evil.

And if it would take days, weeks, even _months_ to convince Csilla, especially, of this, then so be it.

Because Sailormeridian absolutely refused to abandon, however metaphorically in this case, someone who had saved her life more times than she'd personally cared to recall.

This time, included, as well.

Now, if only the mysterious young male would ever stick around long enough for the Guardian Soldier to ever properly _thank_ him for his bravery and selflessness, then she would be set!

For the very moment after Sailormeridian had woozily allowed herself to be dragged back onto her feet by him, sharing a fleeting moment of honest gratitude and slight shyness on her part, before promptly gathering her composure in order to soundly defeat the already gearing up Entity once and for all, Tuxedo Kamen had already begun his all too familiar, fast paced departure from the scene.

_This_ time, however, Sailormeridian had refused to let him simply get away like always whenever he would appear, and then _disappear_.

Without a moment's hesitation she had taken off running after the tuxedo-clad brunet, in spite of her slightly lingering pain from the now defeated Entity's attack, as well as not honestly knowing what she would even say to the man if she'd managed to catch up to him in time.

It hadn't mattered, anyhow, as the blonde's luck had just then changed once more, and this time, for the _better_.

The very last of Tuxedo Kamen's swiftly retreating, tall frame Sailormeridian had laid eyes upon had been seen passing underneath the last row of parking lot lighting before being effortlessly swallowed up by the now late evening's encompassing darkness . . . before an unexpected, yet familiar figure had abruptly cut off her mimicking path.

Sailormeridian could not believe what she was seeing, _whom_ she was seeing.

So many times throughout the news on television, or within newspapers she had seen this individual, and every day and night upon the walls of her bedroom.

But _never_ within her life, not even after having become a fellow protector to their apparently mutual dwelling of Heatherfield did Sailormeridian _ever_ hope to dream of one day coming face to face with _the_ Sailor V. . . .

And here she was without her _camera_ (although she wondered if she'd be allowed to take one of her with her gPhone if she'd asked)!

". . . . S . . . _Sailor V!_ Holy _smokes_ , Sailor V, _here_ , in the flesh!" Sailormeridian barely squeaked out to herself, before letting out an excited squeal and jumped up and down within her spot like a little child within a toy store.

_Clearly_ , all previous concerns of chasing after the ever elusive Tuxedo Kamen and hopefully learn more about him were now long gone from her mind . . . at least, for now.

Sailormeridian watched within complete awe as the statuesque beauty, her absolute _hero_ , calmly took a step closer to her and actually smiled gently at her.

At _her!_

". . . . The one and the same," Sailor V spoke within confidence for the very first time toward the now honestly dumbfounded Sailormeridian, who could only continue to gaily bounce up and down within her spot, any traceable pain left from her recently concluded battle either completely gone, or forgotten.

Sailormeridian could not help but to release yet another cry of utter jubilation, before honestly jumping forward within her spot in order to get just a _little_ bit closer to the (in _her_ opinion, anyway) larger-than-life Sailor V.

" _Ohhhh_ , my _God!_ This i-is like – ! T-This is like, _huge!_ Like _the_ biggest dream come true ever! You don't even _know_ , Sailor V!" she stammered out, practically a mile a second, much to the other blonde's apparent amusement . . . _and_ dismay. "I-I'm sorry, it's just that I am _the_ biggest fan of yours! You're my greatest idol – W-Well, next to _Cornelia Hale_ , of course, of whom I am _also_ the biggest fan! But _you_ , I mean you're just so . . . so _awesome!_ So _brave!_ I hope I can one day become _just_ as brave and strong as you, fighting crime and all that, too! _O-Oh!_ I'm El – er, _Sailormeridian_ , by the way, and a 'newbie' warrior or whatever, but I'm getting there!"

Sailor V seemed to allow herself a moment or two to register what had just been catapulted her way as best she could, before then slowly raising a slender eyebrow, baby blue eyes twinkling behind her dark lavender mask as though a new thought had just then come to her.

With a faint smile and gentle tilt of her golden head, she softly remarked, "You are . . . certainly much more . . . _animated_ than you once were. . . ."

At this, Sailormeridian promptly ceased within her admittedly embarrassing giddiness and lightly cocked her own head to one side within natural confusion, as her ivory cheeks then grew quite rosy.

"W-Wait . . . 'much more animated than you _once_ were?' I-I'm sorry, Sailor V, but I don't under -" she began nervously, inwardly kicking herself for continually sounding like some bumbling idiot in front of her absolute role model, when Sailor V's once tranquil expression suddenly morphed into one of stern reproach as she quickly cut the other girl off mid sentence.

"- Stay _away_ from him," she delivered evenly, turning her body to the side as she looked behind her and nodded her head toward the direction Tuxedo Kamen had vanished into.

Taking a few seconds to register what had been said, and also the abrupt shift within the otherwise formerly pleasant atmosphere, Sailormeridian slowly followed her indirect mentor's gaze with her own eyes before responding.

". . . . W-What do you mean? You're talking about . . . Tuxedo Kamen, right? But, why?" she shakily asked, worry and dread both infiltrating her heart that now even her utmost, treasured hero was wishing to ward her off the man whom she personally believed to be anything _but_ a threat to her.

Returning her full attention onto the smaller girl before her, Sailor V's now intimidating demeanor softened a bit once she'd caught sight of the undeniable conflict and concern beginning to envelope Sailormeridian's entire face. However, upon sensing her male feline partner's presence becoming slowly nearby once more, and further recalling the overall objective at hand, any brief sympathy held within her was immediately washed over.

"He's . . . _dangerous_ , Sailormeridian. You _mustn't_ follow after him as you were just now, _or_ pursue him in any other sense no matter what," Sailor V replied solidly , crisp blue eyes narrowing and body tensing up again within furthered emphasis. ". . . . Think of him as your _enemy_."

" _No!_ That _can't_ be!" Sailor V was honestly surprised to hear Sailormeridian respond so quickly within rebuttal, and so resolutely, as well. It was such a stark contrast to the giddy, seemingly incompetent individual she had presented herself to be just moments before.

Now, if only she would take that apparent conviction and apply it _consistently_ to her overall duties as a Guardian Soldier, then it would make Sailor V's _own_ task a great deal easier. . . .

Sailormeridian was about to open her mouth once more, gearing up to come to the mysterious Tuxedo Kamen's defense against yet _another_ individual, when both she and Sailor V suddenly heard a tiny, yet forceful female voice ring out within the atmosphere off to one side.

" _Sailor V!_ " Sailormeridian immediately recognized to be Csilla unexpectedly calling out to Heatherfield's most famous crime fighter, emerging from the shadows and quickly closed the distance between her charge and herself as she scampered to her side.

The dishwater blonde momentarily wondered to herself if Sailor V would suddenly drop her cool and collected disposition and react the same way Sailorjupiter had upon having first encountered an inexplicably speaking cat, before she'd then quickly shifted her attention back onto the more important issues at hand.

" _Csilla!_ What are you –" Sailormeridian began within surprise, before she was cut off for the second time that evening, this time by her guardian, as the Russian Blue feline chose to ignore her and instead hurriedly addressed the apparently undaunted Sailor V.

"I have spent the past few weeks attempting to track you down in order to gather some _much_ needed information!" she stated in between slightly heavy breaths as it gradually calmed down.

Sailor V slowly folded her slender arms across her partially exposed torso and gently smiled knowingly, almost amusingly, before nodding.

"I . . . see. Well, you've finally caught up to me, so what is your question?"

Csilla blinked at this, honestly surprised that after all of her diligent searching and pursuit, it would have been that easy to at last have the already suspected answer to the inquiry she was about to ask.

". . . . Are you . . . that is . . . you're _The Princess_ . . . _aren't_ you?" she let out carefully, hoping that the tall blonde before her would finally cooperate, and that the shorter one next to her would not somehow ruin it . . . especially since Csilla had yet to personally let her know about her theories concerning Sailor V possibly being the long lost princess the Guardian Soldiers had continually been searching for.

Sailormeridian couldn't believe her ears.

_First_ , she finally got to meet her all time, beloved paragon in the flesh, _and_ actually held a _conversation_ with her (more or less) before Csilla had arrived, and now the furry feline appeared to believe that she might actually be the missing monarch they'd all been searching for, as well?

_I could just die right at this very moment! I swear I could!_ Sailormeridian thought with returning, feverish glee, about to voice her excitement over the stunning turn of events when Sailor V let out a gruff exhale, closing her soft blue eyes to match her clearly disappointed demeanor.

A slow, thoughtful simper then spread across her milk and honeyed face as she reopened her eyes to gaze upon Sailormeridian, specifically, before quietly asking, ". . . . _Am_ I, now?"

And before either Sailormeridian, or Csilla could retaliate with an inquiry of their _own_ in hopes of quenching their now great befuddlement over the mysterious heroine's apparent preference to speak within riddles, Sailor V startled both females before her, as she'd then abruptly turned on her heel and began to swiftly flee the scene, much in the same manner as well as direction as Tuxedo Kamen.

" _W-Wait!_ Sailor V, don't go! I-I have so many _ques_ . . . tions," Sailormeridian cried out in dismay, beginning to take a few hurried steps after the already out of sight blonde, before promptly stopping within her tracks upon realizing the obvious fruitlessness of her short lived pursuit. ". . . . Would someone _please_ tell me why _everyone_ seems to be a fan of leaving me high and dry, tonight?"

". . . . 'Everyone?'" Csilla stated in query, with a small swish of her slender tail within faint intrigue, her mind honestly still focused upon what she personally felt was the more important matter of understanding Sailor V's curious behavior upon being referred to as their missing princess, in addition to her apparent preference to remain elusive about it.

Sailormeridian abruptly whirled around within her place at this, gloved hands raised within the cool night air to further illustrate her fresh aggravation.

"Well, _yeah!_ I mean, here I am, living out my dream to one day meet _the_ one and only Sailor V, and she _jets_ off before I can even have time to ask her for an autograph, or _something_ to remember this moment forever! And, then, _before_ that, I-" she began in a huff, quickly catching herself just in time before revealing her previous encounter with Tuxedo Kamen, as well as the distressing message Sailor V had placed upon her shoulders regarding him.

_The last thing I need right now is to listen to Csilla go on and on with her 'I told you so!'s' . . . not tonight, anyway_ , Sailormeridian thought with a discreet nod to herself, biting down onto her lip before mentally pushing herself to make a note to actually tell the mystical cat, as well as Will and Taranee the next time they would all meet up at their secret headquarters. _I don't honestly want to . . . but I know if I don't and it somehow gets out later on, I'll really never hear the end of it. Still . . . no matter what anyone else will say, I know in my heart that Tuxedo Kamen can't be 'dangerous,' or an 'enemy' like Csilla and Sailor V seem to believe . . . and one day soon, I'm going to prove it._

Sailormeridian felt the hairs on the back of her neck begin to stand up and face grow flush as she watched Csilla's tiny, furry head cock to one side and green eyes flicker with immediate suspicion.

". . . . Sailormeridian . . . what is it that you're not telling me?" she asked within a lowered tone, honestly sounding a bit like the young girl's mother. She then let out a soft exhale and bowed her head a moment, before speaking once more. "Then again, I suppose _I_ also hadn't been exactly forthright with _you_ about my strong suspicion that Sailor V could be our princess, now was I? I'm . . . sorry."

Sailormeridian blinked within honest surprise at her guardian's abrupt change of heart, causing her to feel immensely guilt-ridden and mentally curse herself before releasing a dramatic breath of her own.

"Ugh! _Maaan!_ Did you _have_ to go and do that, Csilla? _Dang_ it!" she whined with a light stamp of her light blue colored boot, before quickly raising a gloved hand into the air before her to stop the question Csilla so obviously now held upon the tips of her furry lips from being asked. ". . . . I think you'd better just call another Guardian Soldier meeting as soon as possible. We _all_ have a lot to talk about."

* * *

"Sooo . . . let me get this straight, if I may: You'd gone on ahead, by _yourself_ , to face off against 'The Bad Guys'' latest deployed Entity, _again_ , by _yourself_ , when you could have easily phoned either Taranee, or me, or _both_ to help you out? And what was all that talk about working as a _team_ , and wanting _me_ , especially, to believe and _trust_ within that? You know, the basic 'grief' and 'nagging' spiel you'd given me?'" Elyon only half listened to Will carry on within light reprimanding, a faint smirk upon her naturally tawny face as she did so.

It was _far_ too bright, and far too _early_ the following morning on that fresh Sunday for the petite blonde to already be handling any sort of heavy duty discussions, even _if_ she had been the one to get the ball rolling for this meeting in the first place.

Quite frankly, Elyon wasn't ever previously aware that _The Musical Star Café_ even opened this early, at an _ungodly_ hour of seven o'clock in the morning, and that was saying something, considering she'd practically _lived_ at the establishment, well before having become a Guardian Soldier.

The young teenager had barely rested her head upon her pillow upon returning home ( _thankfully_ before her parents) the previous evening, it'd felt like, before she'd suddenly heard the rude awakening of her alarm clock she did not honestly remember setting.

However, the next thing Elyon knew, she was being gently, although persistently nudged out of bed by Csilla's miniscule head behind her at _six_ , of all times, _and_ on a weekend, with only a quick glass of milk as her pitiful excuse for a breakfast, before already heading out of the door and to the nearest bus stop to take the both of them to their intended destination.

_I don't even get up that early and move that fast for school, most of the time, which, I think, is a bit more important than rushing to spill the beans about meeting the greatest hero alive . . . even if that still was absolutely phenomenal_ , Elyon tiredly thought with an extended yawn she then struggled to conceal from her surrounding trio of friends. _I mean, surely, Csilla must be aware by now that I am not at all a morning person . . . and yet, here I am, already stuck, square within the center of an increasingly heated debate that my brain absolutely cannot comprehend right at this moment. But at least I told them everything Sailor V had said to me, even if I didn't honestly want to. . . ._

" _Hellooo?_ Earth to Elyon!" Will said with a slightly raised voice and rapid snap of her right middle finger and thumb to better catch the attention of the obviously zoned out girl sat across from her within the lounge area of the private headquarters.

Elyon promptly jumped within her seat, dropping the cushy, black colored throw pillow she'd been holding within her hands for the past several minutes onto the floor. She roughly shook her head a moment as though to shake away her lingering fatigue, her normally disheveled dishwater and pigtailed locks swinging from side to side.

"O-Oh! I'm _sorry_ , Will! I guess I'm just . . . _ahhh_ . . . still pretty sleepy," she confirmed her statement with a precisely timed yawn, blushing gently and smiling sheepishly as a result before continuing. "But, no, seriously . . . I _am_ sorry for not calling you guys to help me out last night, or at least waiting for you to return home before heading out _together_ , Csilla. I just . . . I guess I've just sort of been feeling like I'm . . . _I_ don't know. _Floating_ around with nothing to really contribute to the team, like I'm just some kind of _mascot_ , instead, or something. That's why I thought that . . . well, _you_ know, if I went out there and took on another Entity by myself, the way I had before I'd met either one of you, then maybe it'd make me a better, or even maybe a _stronger_ fighter . . . like Sailor V, or the rest of you."

Elyon felt her cheeks grow even more flush upon catching the collectively sympathetic expressions upon each female's face across from her, causing her to promptly cover her face with her hands and groan deeply into them.

" _Ahhh_ , no! _Don't_ give me that 'Aww, poor Elyon!' look, you guys! I'm honestly over it, already!" she mumbled against her open palms a moment, before removing them from her face to reveal one of her honestly trademark and genuine smiles toward her companions. " _Okay_ , okay, so yeah, it _still_ sort of worries me a bit that maybe I'm really _not_ contributing as much as the rest of you, and that maybe even one day that lack of output could possibly put one of you at risk – God _forbid_ , of course! B-But after meeting Sailor V, up close and personal like that, it just made me remember that _she_ seemingly works alone all the time, with no one to rely on but herself if things ever get dicey during her battles. And if _she_ can carry on like that all alone without any sort of complaint, then I know _I_ can, too! And, besides . . . it just makes me feel really _lucky_ and blessed to have such awesome firepower on my side to help me out while I personally get stronger. . . ."

For a moment, it appeared as though Will might have wished to make a physically comforting gesture toward the suddenly candid blonde before her, and, in all honesty, so, too, did Taranee. However, despite the amount of progress the two seemed to already be making in terms of opening up a bit more and displaying more trusting emotions, clearly moving to sit next to their worried leader and give her a reassuring _hug_ was asking a bit too much of them for the time being.

And so, instead, Taranee simply cleared her throat and smiled as warmly as her inner, personal discomfort could presently allow, while Will abruptly stood from her seat and walked into the kitchenette area with a tiny, slightly knowing smirk upon her face.

The redhead _did_ wish to honestly cheer her new friend up, and she would . . . in her own way.

Clearly seeing that neither remaining female could successfully push past their strategically placed emotional barricades in order to properly console the now awaiting Elyon, Csilla softly smiled within faint sympathy toward them both, before jumping off of the ebony colored coffee table placed in between the two, elongated sofas and carefully settled onto her primary charge's lap.

"Elyon . . . while I am certainly pleased to hear that you're actually _wanting_ to be a bit more proactive where your Guardian Soldier duties are concerned, I wish you'd have come to me about your worries, so that I could have helped you through them. As your protector, that is my primary job," she confessed with a slowly broadening smile as her green eyes then locked with Elyon's hopeful blue, the skin beneath her bluish gray fur growing quite warm within mounting abashment.

Elyon blinked within honest surprise at this, before a teasing grin began to spread across her face.

". . . . I thought that finding The Princess and The Mystical Star of Threbe was your 'primary job,' Csilla? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that that sounded an awful lot like a declaration of _lovvvve_ ," she poked with a quick wink, even though her own personal nerves were becoming a tad flustered upon the unexpected realization.

She was well aware by now that it'd become inevitable, that undeniable bond that she and the mystical feline were already forming between themselves. After all, it wasn't every day that a pair of individuals would quite frequently stare possible doom straight on together.

Besides which, there were also the more personal acts and changes within Csilla Elyon had begun to notice, as well, things which honestly helped her to better recall that, through and through, the fluffy animal was still a cat.

The way she would now always automatically raise her long tail whenever Elyon was coming near her or was simply within view, which the young teenager did understand signified apparent welcoming, happiness and respect toward the individual it was being done for.

And then there was the admittedly adorable, albeit at times gross tiny licks, or 'kisses' Csilla appeared to be within the habit of giving her charge upon her nose nearly every evening before slumbering, and then again nearly every morning when the two would awaken.

_I . . . guess I don't . . . 'dislike' Csilla any more than she clearly no longer 'dislikes' me_ , Elyon thought with a soft chuckle upon further reflection over the great strides the two partners have made, emotionally.

She then began to giggle a bit harder upon catching Csilla's poor attempt to conceal her embarrassment, as she quickly jumped off of her lap and headed toward the kitchen area, where Will was now seeming to busy herself with the various cooking utensils therein.

"I-I don't know what you're on about, Elyon!" the feline poorly denied, her body tensing up a moment as she could blindly hear Elyon's, and now Taranee's, it sounded like, cheerful laughter over the display. Pausing, she then expertly leaped onto one of the several, white colored stools placed behind the same hued counter top where a softly smirking Will currently stood behind, who'd then stopped what she was doing to turn and face her. _"A-Anyhow!_ I'd merely meant that as the leader of the Guardian Soldiers, it is very important that the lines of communication amongst us all remain open, remember, Elyon. You having felt so bothered about your contributing attributes could have possibly hindered not just yours, but everyone _else's_ overall growth, as you'd also realized in time, thankfully. But . . . you needn't trouble yourself over such matters. I have watched you in all this time since we've first met, and I must say that you . . . you have _truly_ come a long way in such a short amount of time. . . ."

". . . . E-Even though I don't possess kick ass flame-throwing abilities, _super_ smart brain power, _or_ the strength of twenty men _combined_ , apparently, all while also electrocuting the _crap_ out of everything – _And_ everyone in sight?" Elyon rifled off her comparative references to her fellow Guardian Soldiers with a small smile, and rather large blush rising up into her cheeks from where she continued to sit.

" _Personally_ , I don't really believe that my being able to wield lightning, or Taranee's ability to start a fire with just her fingertips is what makes either one of us better than you, Elyon, or even the other things you'd mentioned," Will suddenly spoke up with a casual shrug, before turning back around to open up the miniscule sized refrigerator to retrieve what appeared to be a few eggs. Setting them carefully onto the counter upon closing the fridge and turning around yet again, she continued. "I think that . . . so long as you actually give it your best shot and just _try_ in the first place, then you'll get where you want to go. Same can be said about any _other_ area of life, really. . . ."

Elyon raised an eyebrow at this, before smiling within appreciation, causing the normally guarded redhead to cough uncomfortably and turn her head to the side in order to hide away her discomfort.

"I . . . _guess_ I get what you're trying to say, Will. That it doesn't honestly matter _what_ sort of powers we all have, so long as we always do our best _with_ what we have, right? A tiny bit on the _cheesy_ side . . . but I really appreciate your version of a pep talk!" she giggled, before rising from her seat and stretched. "But I still think that no one will _ever_ be greater than Sailor V. . . . _Oooh_ , I wish you guys could have been there! Come to think of it, I wish you guys would have told me _a lot_ sooner that you believe that _she_ could be our princess! _Sooo_ mean!"

At this, Taranee at last found her voice, having simply enjoyed observing the overall display since having first arrived to their unanimous Guardian Soldier meeting.

"W-Well . . . in all honesty, I'd wanted to let you know about Csilla's and my conjoined theory and research upon the matter, Elyon, but . . . well, given your blatant . . . _adulation_ toward her, I suppose I'd just found myself agreeing with Csilla's feeling that you might have gone a bit overboard if you found out before we could be certain," she explained within apology, flashing the pigtailed girl across from her a sheepish grin, before lifting herself from off of the couch and around the coffee table to stand by her side. "But, if it might make you feel a bit better, think of it this way: You might have been the last one of us to learn of our hypotheses, but you were the first to actually meet Sailor V in person. I bet that that must have been _something_ . . . I hope one day _I_ can do the same. . . ."

Elyon, who'd begun to lightly pout upon the matter, instantly perked up at this and nodded gaily, and also within reflection over how easy it now appeared for the studious girl to continue speaking hers and Will's given names since the first time last weekend, while having recuperated within Elyon's family home after their vigorous battle as a finally unified team.

_I just knew that Taranee would prefer and grow much more comfortable with calling Will and I by our first names once she'd start doing so . . . she's certainly seemed to have grown a lot more relaxed around us all, in general, as well_ , she mused with a blossoming smile, feeling honestly proud of the strides Taranee had personally accomplished. _Now, I wonder if she'll still behave the same way if ever I ask her to hang out with Alchemy and the others. I wonder if she'd even say yes . . . if Will would even say yes if I tried to ask her, as well. . . ._

"You're right, Taranee! It was better than _anything_ I could have imagined!" she squealed, clasping her hands together with joy before abruptly swinging her arms open to unexpectedly envelope them around a then immensely taken aback Taranee, who'd looked as though she was quite uncertain what to do with her _own_ arms, as she simply kept them, quite stiffly, at her sides while allowing the smaller girl to continue expressing her overabundant elation. "It was just – _Ahh!_ Well, everything except . . . well, _you_ know by now."

"Yeah, just who _is_ this Tuxedo Kamen guy, anyway? Even after listening about your encounter with Sailor V and her warning to stay away from him, it doesn't honestly fill in the holes for me, personally," Will remarked with another shrug, apparently that act being her preferred gesture, at least for that morning, anyhow.

It hadn't honestly yet occurred to the other three females present until that moment that the tall redhead really _hadn't_ yet encountered the elusive young man, causing Csilla to nod slowly within understanding from her continued perch upon the stool.

"That's right, you _haven't_ met him yet, have you, Will?" she began within inquiry, shifting her emerald eyes away from an intrigued looking Will before her, to the sudden blur of blonde rushing past her and into the kitchen area.

"Oooh, no _way!_ Are you going to make something _super_ scrummy-yummy for us, Will? You _are_ , aren't you? _Fantastic_ , because I'm _starving_ , thanks to someone I know who didn't let me snag anything to eat before leaving the house to get here," Elyon gushed within excitement from her new place at a now surprised Will's right side, watching as the giddy girl peered down at the various ingredients set out before them both upon the ivory counter top.

Will nodded slowly, awkwardly running a slender hand through her short, cherry mane before responding, a bit unsure if the smaller girl really was genuinely interested within delving into an impromptu cooking lesson, or perhaps using it as a means to distract everyone away from the blatantly tense topic of discussion previously beginning to unfold.

". . . . Yes, _yes_ , Elyon, I _am_ going to make something. I figured since we're all here so early and all, that . . . well, _someone_ ought to make breakfast, or whatever – That is, assuming anyone _else_ is hungry, anyway," she stated with an added chuckle, lightly shifting a bit within her spot, as she hadn't expected her honestly small gesture of companionship, her first time offering to cook for her new comrades collectively, would have drawn this much attention, regardless. "And, besides . . . I know how much you . . . well, light up at the chance to eat more of my cooking, so I thought this might brighten up your day. . . ."

"And, _how!_ Thanks so _much_ for this, Will! Whatever you're making, I already know it's going to be _awesome!_ " Elyon cheered with a firm nod, before promptly doing to Will what she'd just then done to Taranee not moments prior, practically suffocating the athletic girl within one of her trademark embraces. "And now Taranee and Csilla will finally get to taste your undeniable talent, too!"

Taranee could not help but to giggle at the scene set before her, her glee strengthening upon catching sight of Will's pushed out tongue toward her within mock annoyance once she'd noticed the raven haired girl enjoying the sight.

It truly was becoming quite the refreshing display, very slowly, yet surely to watch the otherwise fiercely guarded redhead unravel the obvious multiple layers to her persona each time she would spend some time with her fellow Guardian Soldiers.

Granted, it was still far from moving an entire mountain, said progress, but the overall interactions Will would allow herself amongst the three other females, feline included, was most certainly less strenuous, labored, and quite honestly, teeth pulling than what it had been initially.

And now, to witness the traditionally loner tomboy once more willingly open herself up to her comrades, this time by way of expressing perhaps even a bit of the care she was quite possibly beginning to feel for each of them through the art of food, it truly was touching to Taranee's heart.

After all, granted that she, herself, still knew virtually nothing about the other girl, she still was, as far as Taranee was aware, the only one of them to have seen Will within such the vulnerable and completely stripped down disposition she had been when Taranee had gone to see her at her hotel room the previous week . . . even _more_ so than her earth shattering breakdown in front of _all_ of them after her first transformation as Sailorjupiter, in her personal opinion.

Because while Will had, at that time, most likely gotten swept up within the understandably startling moment of shifting between a relatively normal life to suddenly one ripe with world saving nearly upon a daily basis, she didn't have to open herself up even further to Taranee, a perfect stranger, later on within the privacy of her Junior Suite the day she'd found her again.

But she did.

She did with near, almost natural like abandon by the end of it, a stark contrast to her normally heavily guarded demeanor.

And then, within a very similar fashion, Taranee, herself, hadn't honestly needed, within any shape or form, to divulge her _own_ personal shortcomings and inner turmoil concerning her evidently God given abilities as a Clairvoyant, and precisely what it has meant for her regarding interactions with other people throughout the entire scope of her young life.

But she had done so, all the same.

At first, she, and perhaps even Will in secret, really had steadily rationalized it as having been done simply because Taranee had wanted to engender great trust and understanding toward the obviously emotionally wounded young teenager.

And even though nothing had been spoken again about the incident between them since, with slightly altered versions doled out to their now mutual companions to carefully omit the more intimate details, undoubtedly out of self-preservation, Taranee would find herself hard pressed to deny the profound change going on inside of herself because of it.

That, even though she would most probably always feel truly blessed to have met such a caring, thoughtful and good-natured individual as Elyon, she was almost . . . _perfect_ , or too good to be true or, at times, even _real_ to Taranee. She had always given off the air of someone who had never experienced a truly bad day within her life, beyond that of bad _hair_ days or minor tiffs with her _vast_ sea of separate friends.

And the way she'd continue, up until that point, perhaps, to carry on about her newfound shared life as a savior to the masses, it was a notion the studious teenager felt strongly to be true.

And so that was why Taranee almost found herself feeling . . . even a bit _more_ thankful to now have someone like _Will_ within her life, as well, as guilty as the thought did continually make her feel during the moments she'd allow herself to fully reflect upon it.

She knew it wasn't because she suddenly appreciated Elyon's overall presence less, _certainly_ not.

However, with _Will_ Taranee already could feel that, no matter _what_ she could say, or even do, good _or_ bad, she would not be seen any differently, or held to a completely different standard because of it, the way both girls have already observed their leader do upon several past occasions, whether realizing it or not.

Perhaps it was because Elyon was their leader that this was the case, and the underlining notion that, while all three had thus far found out that they somehow could share so far very few similarities and interests between them to help further bond them together as blossoming friends, both Taranee and Will were separate to her . . . almost as though within a different sort of league.

And that feeling alone was why Taranee now felt that, if anything _were_ ever to occur, that no matter what, somehow and in some _way_ , Will would be the one to always be there without hesitance. . . .

It was a feeling which filled the traditionally lonely girl with undeniable hope, at the same time that it both terrified and ate away at her, especially considering she was not even sure if Will had ever stopped to focus upon the curious, unspoken bond developing between them.

And she wasn't about to abuse the recent control she was beginning to have over her naturally psychic gifts to find out for sure . . . but one thing she _did_ know for certain was that _none_ of this could be _normal_ , it feeling almost . . . _otherworldly_ , even.

_. . . . Perhaps this might be part of what Csilla had meant about all of us 'awakening to our memories?'_ Taranee found herself suddenly thinking a newfound, possible conclusion to why these new emotional developments were continuing to take an unusual hold upon her, before she quickly brushed the notion aside. _No. That would be absurd, after all. I'd only just met Will – Both girls, in fact. With my 'vast intellect,' as so many enjoy citing it as, I would think I could remember a simple event as meeting someone before. Whatever is the matter with me, there should be a logical explanation around the corner . . . hopefully. . . ._

Having spent apparently far longer within the privacy of her own mind than initially intended, or indeed necessary, Taranee was then surprised to tune back into the present just in time to hear that the overall conversation had at some point shifted away from Will's already cooking breakfast, and back onto the increasingly problematic Tuxedo Kamen.

Well, at least 'problematic' as far as Csilla, primarily, was concerned, anyhow.

". . . . and we've been dealing with him – Barely _tolerating_ , more like – ever since, Will," Taranee listened to the tail end of what was undoubtedly Csilla's full report upon the tuxedo-clad young man and apparent enemy of theirs.

Taranee then immediately shifted her soft brown eyes onto Elyon, who now sat next to her at their mutual place in front of the kitchenette island where all of Will's cooking supplies remained splayed out and mostly used. She continued to watch over her, both within anticipation as well as almost innate protection, as she was now very well aware that this particular subject, while discussed in front of Csilla, at least, has done nothing but stress her out unduly . . . an observation the naturally quiet girl had only just recently realized to mean only one thing.

Elyon was _falling_ for Tuxedo Kamen . . . and _hard_ , based upon the way she'd always take it so dreadfully personal whenever anything but kind words were given toward him, like the very many she, herself, so often would.

Whether or not the pigtailed girl knew of her own emotions toward the evasively caped crusader, herself, remained to be seen; however, Taranee knew that she would not say a word about it to anyone, nor push the other girl to admit to it until she was ready.

_Besides . . . however brief, I, myself, sort of know how Elyon might feel right now. . . . I wonder . . . if I'd ever see him, again_ , she allowed herself the brief moment to think about the mysterious young boy she had met on her way to her ballet class upon the fateful day she had first become Sailormars.

She'd never seen him since then, and thus had chosen to push the encounter into the back of her mind, although primarily due to the fact that her very first time feeling any sort of . . . possibly romantic feelings for anyone within her carefully shielded life was also the very first time she had ever felt truly fearful for her life, all thanks to that treacherous _Deite_. . . .

And considering her blood would alarmingly grow cold, and then completely simmer each and every time she'd think of that particular individual, it was all the more reason and bigger incentive _not_ to delve deeper into what she was now confident were fleeting emotions.

The day all three girls would finally defeat that vile snake of a man will be one Taranee was certain she'd never look back upon with regret. . . .

"Hmm . . . the guy – The _thief_ , really - certainly sounds like more trouble than he's worth to _me_ , regardless of his true intentions one way or the other," Will lightly spoke after thoughtful deliberation and hearing all of the relative details about Tuxedo Kamen, her voice and open opinion upon an obviously important matter helping to keep the uncharacteristically daydreaming Taranee back within the here and now for good, this time.

Because the redhead had been keeping her back to her three comrades behind her that entire time while Csilla spoke so that she could better concentrate upon her cooking, she still was not privy to each individual reaction to her initial input upon the matter . . . particularly, Elyon's.

However, as soon as Elyon had heard Will refer to her habitual rescuer as nothing more than a ' _thief_ ,' an unknowing mistake which Taranee, at least, immediately knew it to be and found herself cringe over as a result, the almost unnaturally jovial young girl suddenly erupted.

"He is _not_ a thief, Will! And he is most definitely _not_ 'more trouble than he's worth!'" the young blonde exploded, standing abruptly from her spot and roughly slamming her hands down onto the counter in front of her, nearly knocking over Will's cooking supplies and startling primarily the girl in question as a result.

Csilla, and Taranee, on the other hand, although still surprised to witness the petite girl's out of character reaction, were nonetheless bracing themselves for the overly negative rebuttals Elyon was no doubt about to throw into the overall argument, much as she always would.

And, sure enough. . . .

"Why is everyone _so_ adamant to paint this man to be _The Devil_ , huh? Why am _I_ consistently the _only_ one of us who can see beyond what's been presented to us about him? Now, even _you_ , Will, don't seem to trust him . . . and not even _Sailor V_ does, either," Elyon started strongly within defense on behalf of the ever missing Tuxedo Kamen, her periwinkle colored eyes bravely keeping a steady gaze upon the now vastly taken aback redhead before her, who had whirled around to face the one she'd inexplicably offended.

By the time she had finished her statement, forced to once again reflect upon the apparent fact that even her beloved heroine doubted the overall conviction of the young man, she had lost all momentum, immediately dropping her eyes downward before carelessly sinking back into her momentarily abandoned seat.

Feeling initially on the defensive side, still clearly getting used to meeting and understanding every facet of the overall bubbly girl's character, Will slowly let out a long, and deep exhale at the sight, her heart already giving off the now increasingly familiar twinge of empathetic upset whenever witnessing Elyon be anything other than happy.

_And here I was on the right track by making her – All of them – something to eat, and then had to go and put my foot in it, evidently,_ she thought with another sigh, silently reprimanding herself a moment before clearing her throat, as she then turned sideways to turn off the stove and moved her expertly prepared meal off to the side to cool.

". . . . _L-Look_ , Elyon, I'm . . . I'm _sorry_ I've seemed to upset you," Will began quietly, feeling her natural walls beginning to scale themselves back up internally, before attempting to do her best to keep them at bay while she continued, "but, really . . . considering I have only just _now_ heard about this . . . 'Tuxedo Kamen' in full, and have yet to meet him, personally, what else _can_ you expect me to draw from the situation except that he very well _could_ be as much of a threat to all of us as that Deite person and his apparent companion, Zoi?"

Elyon didn't bother to look up from her now subtly shaking hands which rested, open palm, upon her lap, as she, nearly just as soft as Will, commented, ". . . . B-Because . . . I just . . . I just _know_. . . . I know. . . ."

At this, as though sensing Csilla, who had remained silent, with her furry head slightly bowed where she was at Elyon's side upon the counter, would then wish to speak up once more in order to probe unwanted into the girl's true meaning, Taranee was the next to take it upon herself to offer up her _own_ thoughts and opinions upon the heated debate, if for nothing else but to protect her premiere friend's heart.

"We . . . should _all_ really approach this more _logically_ , rather than . . . _emotionally_ ," she stated with as much tact and delicateness as she could manage, her cheeks growing hot as she felt everyone's attention soundly shift onto her, each of them almost seeming to wait with bated breath to hear the insight of the most neutral of them all in everything, thus far.

Nonetheless, Will raised a bright red eyebrow at this, before moving to the cupboards to begin pulling out a few plates and cutlery for their nearly forgotten breakfast.

"'Emotionally?' Well, I'm going to have to assume that you're excluding _me_ on that notion, Taranee, although now you've certainly seized my _interest_ about all of this even more. I mean, why _has_ it been such the button pusher, talking about this _one_ person, when really all he's done _so_ far, again, from what you've all told me, is make one empty threat, while spending the rest of the other times he's shown up . . . more or less _helping?_ " she questioned within an attempt to help rationalize the overall situation.

"Well . . . in all honesty, if I may, we – Well, _I've_ never really thought much of the man one way or the other . . . u-until Csilla made it explicitly clear that _none_ of us should trust him," Taranee offered weakly, doing her best to bestow a faint, apologetic smile onto an increasingly emotionally wounded Elyon, who'd just then turned her head to her right to gaze upon her.

"But . . . even _you_ have to at least acknowledge that, before Csilla even started saying a thing about him, _period_ , that the only thing Tuxedo Kamen _ever_ did for us both was save us from Deite's continued wrath, Taranee . . . like how he'd done so on the night of Princess Étáin's ball a few weeks ago," the pigtailed girl attempted further with _her_ defense, exhaling softly as she began to find her resolve to believe within the mysterious gentleman returning.

Unlike Will, who had yet to be fully immersed within the loop by way of personally encountering the premiere force to be reckoned with by way of the devilish Deite, both Elyon and Taranee knew just how true the former's statement really was.

And Elyon _also_ knew, whether Taranee realized it or not, just how much Deite's existence, alone, has shaken the Guardian Soldier of Fiery Passion and Wisdom to her core, and understandably so.

And so, as much as it made her feel guilty for thinking that way, Elyon was now secretly hoping that Taranee's simultaneous fear and abhorrence for the man who had nearly taken her life not once, but twice now, would far outweigh her growing distrust for _another_ man who had so far only safeguarded said life in return. . . .

Sure enough, Elyon was relieved to see the French-Braided girl's facial expression soften a bit before slowly nodding within clear recognition to her friend's point.

". . . . It would seem that, for _now_ , at least, logic, or, at least, a bit of some _rationality_ , has gone to Tuxedo Kamen within his favor," Taranee murmured quietly, more so to herself than to her surrounding companions, just as Will had carefully set down a now decorative, delicious plate of a warm, fluffy French Omelette and a sliced open piece of a French Baguette to accompany it in front of her.

". . . . How about adding a side of _breakfast_ with that, then?" the redhead asked with a faint smile and dusting of rouge upon her naturally tan cheeks, before already turning back around to finish serving her fellow Guardian Soldiers.

Csilla, who could not help but smile, herself, at the general display of her charges getting along with one another, and that Will, especially, was continually allowing it to happen in the first place, felt it immediately slipping away as she had to remind herself of the slightly more important issues at hand.

After all, it was one thing for _Elyon_ to continually disregard the sagacious feline's words of caution, _whatever_ her personal reason. And now, as trying as it has been, she could _not_ allow it to spread to the remainder of her pupils . . . if she wanted to continue to help keep them safe.

"While I'm . . . honestly moved by each of your sense of loyalty and support already budding forth from within each of you," the Russian Blue Hair started with another light simper, taking a moment to allow her vibrant green eyes to settle onto each girl before continuing, "it would appear to me that _you're_ the ones still very much approaching this emotionally, and not at _all_ with the good sense you'd claimed we should all possess, Taranee. . . . That is to say, no matter _what_ he may have done in the past, the fact still remains that, from out of his _own_ mouth, Tuxedo Kamen openly declared himself to be our _enemy_ , every bit as much as Deite, and now Zoi continue to be. Therefore, it should not be too much of a stretch to the imagination that he simply could have masquerading around as an apparent helper of sorts during our utmost time of need in order to gain our trust as quickly as possible, before betraying one or all of us. This is a theory, a _strong_ theory, I have discussed once before already. . . ."

Elyon, despite it becoming a bit too difficult to focus, now that the time to finally eat was right at hand with the irresistible aroma of eggs and warm bread now effortlessly wafting throughout their secret headquarters, held on strong as she rubbed vigorously at her forehead before speaking.

"I . . . know, Csilla. I do. I know that _all_ of you, now, seem to believe that I'm just . . . blindly going into this with nothing more than a sense of goodwill, or something, and . . . honestly, I guess I can't blame you," she said calmly, this time within far more control over her overall emotions over the matter than before. If she was going to ever have her voice be heard and taken seriously where Tuxedo Kamen's true nature was concerned, then she'd need to present herself as such. "It's just that . . . _ugh!_ Okay. So, you know how just . . . sometimes, without warning or _knowing_ , you'll just get these feelings of undeniable certainty about something? Almost . . . almost like a . . . a -"

"- ' _Sixth Sense?_ '" Taranee interrupted with a shy smile, knowing precisely where her new friend was trying to go with her train of thought, although _not_ in thanks to her own, actual Clairvoyant abilities in the slightest.

With widened, almost sparkling eyes, Elyon's usual pep had instantly returned within that moment as she eagerly nodded, a weight just completely lifting off of her shoulders as it finally appeared as though she were getting somewhere with her comrades . . . before a deep blush splashed onto her fair complexion upon evidently realizing who, of all people, had said such a thing.

"Y-Yes, exactly, Taranee! O-Oh! But I didn't mean it like a-a knock at _you_ for _your_ actual, real deal Sixth Sense! I was only trying to say that . . . _you_ know . . . even though I know that, yes, _logically_ , with what's been placed before all of us, I probably _should_ stay away from Tuxedo Kamen. I mean, Lord _knows_ there are too many people and . . . _things_ out there all vying for the chance to have our heads, right?" the dishwater blonde remarked with a nervous, embarrassed giggle, before biting down onto her lip a moment at the last observational comment, and just how precisely true it startlingly was as each new day passed. " _A-Anyway!_ I just . . . I'd just like the chance to see this through for once, _without_ anyone constantly in my ear, telling me from all sides to 'stay away, stay away, _stay away_ ' all the time. I feel like . . . maybe if any of us could ever just get the chance to . . . I don't know, just _talk_ to him and ask him _why_ he feels like we are his enemy or that we even _have_ to be, then maybe. . . ."

". . . . Maybe then what was said might not actually be so," Will concluded for the smallest girl with a tiny nod of mild understanding, it now Elyon's turn to receive her own plate of culinary mastery at its finest. She then paused a moment after setting down the girl's plate in front of her, before offering up a bit more of her own two cents. "I can, if nothing else, respect you . . . _all_ of you, for wanting to stand firmly to each of your guns about this. . . . . I do. And as for me, I'm most probably going to still hold him out within arm's length whenever I'll get the opportunity to meet him in person, myself. I'm sorry, but I think it honestly would be a bit stupid _not_ to, considering he's after the same thing we all are, even if it turns out that he never ends up hurting or betraying any of us in order to get it. . . . But . . . here's the thing, though: If Tuxedo Kamen's every bit as 'elusive' as its definition denotes, then how will any of us ever _get_ the chance to talk it out with him and find out everything for sure, once and for all?"

At that, Will had successfully managed to silence everyone present, as it appeared as though she had hit a prominent nail upon the head.

None of them, not even Elyon, really did know a thing about Tuxedo Kamen, including his whereabouts, or even his true identity . . . something which bothered the blonde the most out of all of her worries concerning him.

_I don't have even the slightest idea of who he could possibly be, and that's probably what's killing me the most about all of this_ , she thought with momentary melancholy, before forcing herself to shake the draining emotion away. _I mean, he honestly could be anyone within all of Heatherfield . . . all of Florida! He could even be . . . Martin . . . o-or worse. . . ._

". . . . _Caleb_ ," Elyon suddenly found herself muttering aloud within thick disgust and a shiver before she could stop herself, causing her companions to each look upon her with understandable perplexity.

Everyone, that is, except for Taranee, who, at the very least, apparently seemed to recall hearing that name once before.

"Caleb? Do you mean that . . . mall guy? The one you'd said you've crossed paths with before and . . . for whatever reason, don't seem to care much about?" she inquired unsteadily, also doing so as a way to swiftly lessen the undoubted confusion the two remaining females most likely still harbored.

Elyon found it a bit difficult to find her voice for a few moments thereafter, face now completely ripe red and body positively tingling and flush with nausea.

And before she could stop herself again, however, she was once more blurting out her private thoughts in front of her friends.

" _Caleb?_ Why did I even list him as a possibility? There is absolutely, posi- _lutely_ no way he could _ever_ be Tuxedo Kamen! I'd rather it be _Martin_ , after all!" she practically hissed, slapping a hand to her mouth upon catching yet another slip up far too late.

Csilla, the next one to fully recover from the surprising developments of sorts, and also quite used to such antics from her primary charge by now, seemed to also slowly recall the particular individual Elyon was speaking of, and quite negatively.

". . . . Wait. I believe I can remember to whom you are referring, myself, Elyon. Is he not that young boy you seem to somehow have a knack of running into about the city every now and again, and . . . as Taranee pointed out, appears ever capable of getting underneath your skin without much effort?" she, too, queried, jumping off of the counter to allow Will enough space to place her own breakfast plate down, before clearing the remainder of her cooking items.

"Well, _clearly_ , I'm out of the loop on this one, but I think it might be safe to say that _whomever_ Tuxedo Kamen will happen to be, it probably won't be some random person Elyon apparently can't seem to stand, especially since the way she feels about the former is . . . _I_ don't know. _Protective_ – Maybe even _overprotective_ , at the very least by comparison," Will lightly observed with a returned shrug, her third one that morning, bending over to place a prepared saucer of warm, diced tuna fish as a nice treat and surprise for the now greatly appreciative mystical animal.

After that final comment had been uttered, with Elyon clearly preferring to let the disturbing topic die away and be buried for good, the quartet of females simply let all of their previous qualms and concerns fade away, if only for the time being, as they each allowed the increasingly pleasant feelings of good food, friendship, and sated bellies wash over them.

Toward the end of the meal, which indeed had turned out to be one for the history books, at least as far as Elyon was concerned, a momentarily forgotten thought had again catapulted itself to the forefront of her mind as she then abruptly stated, "Oh! _Sailor V!_ We were so busy talking about . . . well, you know, that we never finished completely discussing the hopefully strong possibility – Well, in _my_ opinion, at least – that she could be our princess! Personally, it's _totally_ a done deal for me. I mean, if anyone _would_ be of royal blood or _any_ sort of nobility, it'd _have_ to be Sailor V! She's super pretty, _crazy_ brave, smart, and when I was talking to her, she just . . . _oozed_ out 'Hi! I'm a princess!'"

Unable to conceal her laughter, Will nearly choked upon a bit of the poured orange juice which had later accompanied the girls' meal, and set the glass carefully onto the counter top.

"W-Whoa! I mean, by now, I've become pretty well aware that you are a hardcore fan of Sailor V, nearly or right on par with that Cornelia Hale singer, Elyon, but don't you think your devotion toward her could be influencing your _already_ ironclad conviction that she's the princess we're searching for? I mean, didn't you tell us that when Csilla had asked her outright if she was, all she did was turn it back around onto you guys for whatever reason? Why not just come out and say that, 'Yes, I am,' or 'No, I'm not?'"

"I _did_ wonder about that, myself, Will . . . however, at present, Sailor V strongly appears to be our best suspect, as it were, to being our princess, perhaps even for some of the reasons Elyon just suggested," Csilla said with an acknowledged nod of her fluffy head, jumping onto one of the twin sofas nearby once more to begin meticulously washing her tiny paws after a very satisfying meal.

Taranee then tilted her raven colored head to one side a moment, the end of her French-Braid lazily sliding off of her right shoulder in the process.

". . . . Maybe Sailor V simply enjoys speaking within riddles? Or maybe it was done as a way to get us all thinking upon the matter further, much as we all are now. Regardless, I still have to say that I'm rather excited, myself, at the prospect of she being the one to be The Princess, of all people . . . not to mention that, the more I personally think about it, I honestly can feel something oddly . . . _significant_ about her," she revealed carefully with a faint smile, tucking her head down a bit and away from both Elyon and Will's teasing smirks, as they both were obviously now well aware of Taranee's own sense of esteem toward their masked, fellow super heroine.

"Ahhh! _See?_ This just _totally_ proves it! If Taranee, of all people, is feeling something 'significant' about Sailor V, then you _know_ it's definitely legit! And the next time we see her – And we _so_ have to now, more than ever – then we'll _really_ know it to be true!" Elyon squealed with utter jubilation, nearly knocking her stool over as she practically launched herself out of it, before whirling around to face her two new friends once more. "Now, I don't know about _you_ guys, but I think this totally calls for a super celebration! And what better way to do that than with some Cornelia Hale music? _C'mon_ , Taranee! And Will, this time you _have_ to at least _dance_ with us, if not sing along!"

Before the shy, intellectual girl could even say a thing nor stop her from doing so, an extremely gleeful Elyon was already dragging her out of her own seat and toward the music area to begin rifling through what the blonde now knew to be some of the pair's mutually favorite tracks of the talented music idol.

Will couldn't help but to smile generously at the sight, shaking her crimson colored head slowly as she rose from her place to begin cleaning up everyone's breakfast plates and glasses.

" _Ohhh_ , no, _no_ thanks on that one, Elyon. I think I'll just sit back and watch, with Csilla, like always. Besides, you know that I didn't even know this person _existed_ before I met you, let alone know any of the words to her songs . . . although, at the rate you two are going with playing them over and _over_ practically every time we meet up here, I'm afraid that may well soon change," she announced with a shiver of mock disgust, allowing a bit more of her playful side to emerge once more upon catching the perky blonde's gaze at the right moment, before moving toward the small sink to begin washing the dishes.

"Always the party pooper! But, don't you fret! _One_ of these days, I _will_ get you to join in _somehow_ , Will! 'Till then, let's do this, Taranee!" Elyon happily avowed, before gently taking both of a now deeply blushing Taranee's hands and began dancing around the spacious area of their private headquarters and carrying on in song.

_And once again, for this aspect, at least, some things never change_ , Csilla couldn't help but reflect within silence a moment, smiling contentedly to herself at her remained place upon the couch, before gently stretching out to award herself a brief, but well deserved catnap, while her three pupils were allowed to enjoy themselves simply as normal teenaged girls for at least a little while. . . .

**\- End of Part I. . . .**


	8. ℓ Act 6 (Part II/Finale) ℓ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--------
> 
> This chapter was created/written in February 2012, and updated/posted in November 2014.
> 
> \--------

After another hour or so of song, dance, and general good comfort to be had amongst themselves, the Guardian Soldiers, including Csilla all piled into the golden elevator which led them into and out of their separate, secret home base, and began exiting _The Musical Star Café_ once they'd reached the main floor.

However, right as Elyon was the last to exit the elevator, and make her own way toward the now relatively packed café, something immediately caught her eye.

Within the left hand side, where the establishment's customer service station was always, bent down in front of an open utilities closet door nearby was Cedric . . . who curiously appeared to be busying himself with something seemingly important.

And although she did feel a tad guilty for immediately wanting to nosy about her crush's business, Elyon simply could not help herself, as she quickly found herself abruptly hanging back from her former group and allowed them to completely exit the café without her.

Placing herself behind a nearby marble pillar as a way to better conceal herself, knowing full well that if Cedric even caught just a glimpse of her he'd promptly know it to be her (an observation which she'd normally take great pride within upon any other occasion, of course), Elyon then carefully leaned forward a bit in order to get a better view of what the older man was doing, all while at the same time doing her best to look as inconspicuous as possible.

Immediately, it felt as though time had completely stopped to the petite blonde, her heart nearly halting as well as her blue eyes widening the moment they watched Cedric straighten his posture . . . and held up a red-lined, black tuxedo cape in front of him.

Rationally, Elyon could, and probably should have simply taken it with a grain of salt, witnessing her secret beloved curiously be within the possession of one of, if not the most distinctive and memorable piece to Tuxedo Kamen's overall ensemble.

And she honestly would have . . . had it not been for the rather large, diagonal tear within the bottom right hand side of the cape, which happened to be the exact same location and appearance to the gash left upon Tuxedo Kamen's _own_ mantle the previous evening. . . .

Elyon was prone to, at times, forgetting about a good many things, but she certainly hadn't about _that_.

And now, just like that, she had found him . . . and it was someone who had always been right underneath her nose and secretly one she had _hoped_ it could, although never dared believe it to be.

Until now.

" _Cedric_ . . . is Tuxedo Kamen," Elyon breathed within mixed disbelief and titillation, practically within a complete daze, as she continued to watch Cedric carefully inspect the torn piece of clothing hanging delicately in between both of his hands.

Even though it had been dark at the time, the overall adrenaline still making its way throughout her entire system as a result of her thankfully concluded battle with that canine resembling Entity last night, coupled with the immediate, although by now regrettably expected departure of her rescuer, Elyon could _still_ distinctly recall seeing the very same blatant tear to Tuxedo Kamen's cape while she was briefly running after him, before Sailor V had unexpectedly intervened. . . .

It was something she hadn't bothered to pass mention to to her fellow Guardian Soldiers, mainly because she hadn't felt it held any sort of relative bearing to their primary reason for holding their meeting in the first place that morning, but also due to the fact that she'd harbored a great sense of guilt, as well as blame for it.

_If I just been able to finish off that stupid Entity fast enough, then Tuxedo Kamen . . . Cedric wouldn't have had to dive in front of me the way he did in order to protect me_ , Elyon worriedly thought a moment, biting down onto her chap stick covered lip, while suddenly feeling her feet begin to carry her toward the unsuspecting blonde. _What if . . . more than just his cape had gotten damaged? What if he had, as well? I . . . I have to know . . . I have to talk to him, and let him know that I now know it's him. . . ._

Before Elyon could open her mouth, however, the sudden familiarity of Will's voice called out to her, causing her to look over in time to watch both she and Taranee returning back inside of the café, presumably to collect her.

"Hey, you all right, Elyon? Taranee and I were about to part ways when we'd all then realized that you were no longer with us," the red haired tomboy said within a hushed voice as she curiously kept her distance from both girls, an odd behavior they might have wondered about had they not already witnessed Will do so in the past whenever out within the thick of public with them.

And it also did not at all help that a few of the various café's inhabitants were already beginning to focus their previously separate attention the trio's way, which only managed to further Will's, and even Taranee's still remaining hesitance to be out within the open for too long, proving to all three of them that not only did the girls' separate reputations around Heatherfield still precede them, but that there was still quite a ways to go before either girl learned to ignore them and become much more comfortable within her own skin . . . no matter _where_ that happened to be.

Elyon, who by now no longer took it so personally to see either friend behave within such a manner, merely smiled sheepishly at the pair before attempting to pull them off to one side in order to hopefully remain beneath Cedric's radar.

However, given that her very unique name had already been uttered aloud, even within a semi packed, and relatively noisy vicinity, she had a strong feeling that her infatuation had managed to hear Will speak it, nonetheless.

And, sure enough. . . .

"E-Elyon? Elyon, where – Oh! _There_ you are! I never expected to see _you_ in here this early! What are you doing . . . in the corner like that?" Elyon could hear Cedric's usually cheerful voice ask from behind, causing her to temporarily cringe and almost regret his having found her, much like he usually would.

_But now that's totally even more romantic, since he always manages to find me as Tuxedo Kamen, as well_ , she couldn't help but muse with a small, but growing blush and smile, before quickly turning around to face the tall young man.

"E-Er, _hi_ , there, Cedric! Good morning! I didn't know you worked Sundays now, too!" the short girl spoke as calmly , and as casually as she could, which was becoming increasingly difficult to do considering she had just moments before learned that the absolute love of her life, and the man who was . . . someone special to her, at best, were actually one in the same. "I was j-just, uh . . . having a quick breakfast with my friends, Taranee and Will, here, before heading to the _m-mall!_ Maybe even purchase a new . . . _tuxedo_ for my dad for Father's Day, too! Nothing odd or secretive about that! _Nope!_ "

She knew she was pushing it, making up that strange lie like that, and not even because they were all very well aware that Father's Day was all the way in _June_ , and it was still only _October_.

No, it was because Elyon was now feeling a bit torn upon whether or not she really _should_ confront Cedric about whom he really happened to be . . . and dropping _horrible_ clues to her not so subtly alluding to the notion that she now knew it, herself, honestly wasn't helping.

_I mean, if he wanted me to know it was him all along, he'd have told me from the very beginning . . . right? Unless, maybe he has his own reasons, like sort of like the kind Will, Taranee, and I all have to not let anyone know we're Guardian Soldiers_ , the dishwater blonde attempted to rationalize within silence, biting down onto her lip once more as her conflicting emotions of wishing to do 'the right thing,' _or_ spilling her guts warred on inside of her.

"Is . . . that right? Well, I-I guess I won't keep you ladies, then," Cedric responded a bit unsteadily at first with an amused grin, before suddenly snapping his fingers and pointing directly toward Elyon. "O-Oh, wait! Would you mind holding back a minute with me, Elyon? There's something I wanted to ask you. . . ."

Both Will and Taranee exchanged quiet looks of utter perplexity toward one another, primarily over the entire situation unfolding before them, as well as Elyon's curious behavior around _The Musical Star Café_ employee . . . more so than usual, anyhow, before the pair decidedly stepped around their friend and Cedric to politely excuse themselves.

Elyon, meanwhile, could barely contain her complete, and utter joy to be alone with him, especially now for the first time with the knowledge of his true identity.

_And not to mention that it sounds like he's about to tell me something really important! This could be it!_ she thought with increasing excitement, although she did her best to appear as unaffected as possible on the outside.

"U-Um, sure, no problem, Cedric! What's . . . What's on your mind?" she asked a bit breathlessly , only just then realizing that she had been holding in her breath through her rattled nerves.

She briefly took a chance to look over Cedric's shoulder, as awkward as that was considering the drastic height difference between them, in order to see if he had carelessly left his torn tuxedo cape out for any one of his fellow employees, or even customers to see or possibly seize.

_Good, it's gone . . . wherever he'd quickly stashed it,_ Elyon thought with a deep sigh of relief and smile, looking back into Cedric's dreamy, cerulean colored eyes in time to catch him flash her a brilliantly dashing grin.

"All right! Well, Elyon . . . I was actually wondering if you weren't busy next Saturday by any chance?" the good-natured young man asked with a growing simper, making Elyon's heart nearly stop within utter flabbergast as a result, as she watched him curiously beginning to appear nearly just as nervous as she. "I only ask because . . . well, when I was busy cleaning up my apartment last month, I'd actually managed to find an old season pass to 'Angel Park' that I'd gotten when I was still working there last year, before coming to work here. Anyway, I was _super_ happy I managed to find it again, and especially since it's actually about to expire next month when the park closes down for the season, because it's . . . helped me to decidedly summon up my courage and do something I've been wanting to do for quite a _while_ , now, really. . . . And it would _really_ mean a lot to me if you'd be a part of it, Elyon. I know how much you really enjoy theme parks."

_Oh, my God! I can't believe this! First, I get to meet Sailor V within the flesh last night, then I find out that Tuxedo Kamen is Cedric, out of all the millions of people he could have been, and now, he's actually, finally asking me out on a date! This is the best weekend of my entire life!_ Elyon thought, practically a mile a second, positively bursting at the seams as she struggled to contain her absolute euphoria at the overall reality of the situation placed before her.

It had taken several moments before she could finally find her voice again, her face embarrassingly scorched, she was sure, before she could manage a quick, regrettably high pitched squeak of, " _Y-Yes!_ "

Cedric, ever the charming and understanding individual she always knew him to be, merely chuckled within relief before clapping his hands together.

"You _will?_ Oh, _great!_ And, hey! Bring _Alchemy_ along, too! _She_ likes amusement parks, as well, right? And your other friends, Taranee, and, um . . . W-Will? Right! The more, the merrier! Okay, so see you, next Saturday, around . . . noonish, all right? _Great!_ "

Elyon could only watch in stunned silence as the proverbial key to her heart gave her one last award winning smile before bidding her a fond farewell, her own previously excited grin slowly beginning to droop.

How had their premiere date shift so quickly from a private, utterly romantic affair, to a sudden _group_ outing, and all under three seconds flat?

Elyon felt her feet slowly drag her out of _The Musical Star Café_ like a mummified creature, her ears barely registering the busy, usual sounds of prosperity within the streets around her, nor the sudden, renewed call of her name by her companions once more.

"Elyon, hey! . . . . E-Elyon? You all right? What was all that about inside with . . . I'm sorry, I've forgotten his name, again," Will asked within lingering confusion as both she and Taranee approached from either side, with Csilla hurriedly bringing up the rear.

"His name is Cedric, Will. . . . He's . . . well, a very special someone to Elyon, I believe," Taranee attempted to explain as craftily as she could with a small smile, feeling that it was at least all right to let the blonde's obvious attraction to the older man be freely known, versus the possible pull she had toward _Tuxedo Kamen_ , as Elyon had never tried to keep the former a secret since day one of the girls having begun hanging out.

At this, Will merely nodded slowly within accumulative comprehension, a faint but growing smirk forming upon her naturally tawny face.

" _Ahhh_ , okay, I get it, now. Well, no _wonder_ you wanted us out of there so you two could be alone. From the looks of things from out here, anyway, it seemed as though you both were discussing something pretty important . . . am I right?" she lightly teased with added inquiry, folding her arms across her chest just as Elyon suddenly began to slowly walk on ahead.

"H-He . . . well . . . he asked me out on a date," she finally spoke, voice barely above a murmur as she continued walking, her friends following along.

At first, in truth, she did feel a bit . . . well, _more_ than a bit deflated that Cedric had, for _whatever_ reason, invited far too many people to their supposed-to-be-profoundly-romantic-and-life-changing date.

However, the very moment Elyon had said it aloud . . . " _date_ ," the realization that the tall blonde had actually made one with her at _all_ completely washed away all of her previous negativity and disappointment.

For, the next thing any of them knew, including Elyon, herself, she abruptly let out an utterly elated squeal at the top of her lungs and whirled around to face her fellow comrades, causing not only them, but quite possibly the entire street and even beyond to stare within alarm.

"Ohhh, my _God!_ Oh. My. _Godddd!_ Cedric just asked me out on a _date!_ _Me!_ Elyon Brown! An actual, real life date, can you _believe_ it? I think I'm going to faint!" she prattled on with abandon, passersby looking on as though she sorely needed to be certified, while Csilla, Taranee, and Will could only ( _weakly_ ) grin and bear the painfully embarrassing display.

After a few more moments had passed, and the extremely giddy teenager had simply been allowed to carry on within her quite public antics without a care, Csilla, having been around both Elyon, as well as Cedric the most amongst her friends, was understandably the most surprised and first to question the unexpected event.

" _H-Hold_ on, now, Elyon! Cedric . . . the one who works at the café, and also the one both you _and_ your friend Alchemy appear rather keen on . . . invited you out somewhere . . . with _romantic_ intent?" she asked as quietly as she could, taking care, as always, not to draw too much attention to herself whenever choosing to speak openly within public.

Although the small feline had not meant any sort of ill will, nor intended to sound as doubtful as she now was, nonetheless, Elyon immediately stopped within her open prancing and stared hard at her mentor, quite obviously having taken offense.

"So, wait a second. Are you asking me if it actually _happened,_ because you find it _sooo_ hard to believe that someone like Cedric could possibly find an interest within someone like _me_ , Csilla? Is that it?" she questioned, a bit too harshly, as she continued to peer down at the effortlessly taken aback animal stood before her.

". . . . I'm thinking what Csilla was _probably_ more so on about was the fact that you're only _fourteen-years-old_ , and that guy's, what? Like . . . at _least_ twenty-one, or something," Will slid into the unexpected debate with a mildly serious facial expression, her obvious general empathy toward animals apparently beginning to kick in as she carefully bent over to scoop up the now plainly stunned silent cat into her arms within comfort.

At this, Elyon sharply waved a hand within dismissal.

" _Tch!_ 'Age ain't nothing but a number,' as the saying goes . . . I think! And _anyway_ , I'm going to be _fifteen_ in just a few weeks, thank you very much, 'Miss Buzzkillington,'" she huffed, although she took care to give a playful sticking out of her tongue momentarily in order to show the normally guarded tomboy that there wasn't any sort of bad blood between them now. " _Besides_ . . . if you're so worried about the age difference, Cedric was . . . _clever_ enough, yeah, _that's_ it . . . he was _clever_ enough to invite you guys along!"

Elyon watched within mild amusement as both her fellow Guardian Soldiers raised eyebrows toward her last statement, while her previous, inner turmoil over that fact quickly and steadily made peace with it.

_Maybe that really was the reason Cedric has taken care to invite Alchemy, Will, and Taranee to our date next weekend_ , she mused, biting down onto her bottom lip as her mind _then_ shifted onto actively trying to recall what the age of consent currently happened to be within the state of Florida, to be safe.

Taranee was the first to openly react to this news, her insides churning with great discomfort, although more so toward the notion of impeding upon a would be romantic excursion.

"U-Um . . . apologies, but Cedric would like us – And I am assuming you mean simply Will and I, as I can't imagine him having wished to add even _Csilla_ into the equation – to accompany you two during your . . . date? As what, pray tell: chaperones, or decoys?" she couldn't help but pose the last question, beginning to wonder more and more now just how 'normal' the otherwise generally respectful and pleasant _Musical Star Café_ employee _truly_ was.

Will couldn't help but chuckle at her new friend's comment, before nodding within avid agreement.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, Elyon, but the more you tell us about this, the more it just seems . . . _off_ , I guess," she stated as the group then resumed their walk, gently stroking underneath a steadily calming Csilla's chin. "I mean, with all due respect, here, but . . . it's bad enough that this guy is feeling pretty . . . ' _balls-y,_ ' I guess you could call it, to be asking you out like this, but how's it going to look when he's out and about with an entire _gaggle_ of underage girls on each arm on Saturday? Didn't really seem to think this one through, that one. . . ."

Elyon threw her hands up into the air, seemingly within defeat, as she continued to lead the way down the crowded street.

" _Ugh!_ Would you –! I just –! Okay, just _listen_ , all right? Cedric told me he was busy cleaning up his apartment the other day, found his old season pass to 'Angel Park' where he used to work before 'T.M.S.C.,' evidently, and then asked if I wouldn't want to hang out there next Saturday at noon!" she attempted to explain as coherently as she could, the natural desire to defend her beloved effortlessly bubbling to the surface. "And before you even say a _word_ , thanks, he asked me out to _there_ , specifically, because he's paid enough attention to me in the last year of our friendship to remember how much I absolutely _adore_ theme parks! And I think that that's just extra sweet and romantic for him to have made our first date together so _personal!_ Now! As for . . . also making our first date together rather . . . 'crowded,' well I'm sure he only did that because he was too shy to keep it on a one-on-one basis, that's all! I mean, I know _I'd_ be super nervous to ask him out for the first time, after all – W-Which I still _so_ could never do, oh, my _God_ , no. . . ."

While the overall equation of the admittedly curious situation still did not fully add up to any of them, it was now clear to Elyon's three companions how much it truly meant to her that her blatant crush had apparently at last taken notice of her within a romantic sense. And although that possible fact, alone, did leave rather unsatisfying tastes within each of their mouths, none said anything more upon the issue by way of continued doubt, or the true intent behind Cedric's seemingly innocent invitation.

Instead, each female merely nodded slowly within feigned understanding, before Csilla was the first to offer as generic a followup question as possible.

". . . . So, then . . . I suppose, knowing you, you will wish to 'shop 'till you drop' within preparation for your big . . . date, hmm, Elyon? The date which _also_ includes both Will _and_ Taranee, as it were," the fluffy feline posed the inquiry with a faint, albeit nervous smile, her natural instincts as the girls' protector overriding her desire to spare the pigtailed girl's feelings any further.

Thankfully, however, Csilla could not _readily_ sense anything malicious in nature concerning Cedric's unexpected invitation, despite the obvious hangup of what she, having been on Earth for quite a while now, now understood to be rather . . . _taboo_ in nature.

She did wonder if she should let her charges be aware that the factor of age had never really been _that_ much of an issue from where _she_ originally hailed, in truth, or instead simply allow them to carry on within their ongoing concerns over the matter.

_No. For the time being, at least, methinks it would be best to remain mum about all of that. . . . There would be far too many questions to naturally follow, and too little answers to be had_ , Csilla reflected within silence, lightly nodding to herself with added conviction as she brought her full attention back onto the situation at hand.

"W-Well . . . yeah, _yes_ , of course, Csilla! But, I mean, it _is_ an amusement park, so I can't obviously go all out with whatever outfit I'd end up choosing. And of course, there'll be _lots_ of water rides, and rides which go _super_ fast, up, down, and around, so we'll have to factor those elements in, as well, in terms of no fancy hairstyles, and _no_ granny-type of swimsuits. . . . Ohhh, now I'm a complete _wreck!_ I have no clue what to wear! Thank God, all the more now, that you guys and Alchemy are coming along! I think I'd probably lose my lunch from sheer nerves, alone!" Elyon said with the usual animated gusto, rifling off her mental list upon each finger of her right hand, before mentally cursing herself at the accidental mention of her best friend and her now confirmed attendance.

True, she had intended, at some point . . . maybe perhaps next _Friday_ , a day before the shared outing, to inform both Taranee and Will of her childhood friend's coming along; however, she hadn't planned on doing so on the very same day Cedric had just asked her out in the first place.

_Well, I was just wondering earlier if I could ever invite everyone to hang out simultaneously sometime, so I guess now's my chance to find out if it's actually possible_ , the dishwater blonde mused with a shaky smile before turning her head a bit to gauge both girls' reactions to the news.

Will appeared undaunted by it, continuing to walk alongside the shorter girl with a neutral expression upon her face, while gingerly carrying a returned to silence Csilla within her strong arms. Although not outright . . . friends, as it were, Elyon hadn't honestly expected much of a reaction by way of the negative from the redhead, as Will had appeared to have grown . . . at least accustomed to seeing Alchemy every day at lunch back in school, alongside the rest of Elyon's other friends.

The trio in question still had yet to eat together, if and when Will would decide to make an appearance within the courtyard at all, despite Elyon's not so subtle attempts to better unify her 'two worlds;' however, communication, however brief, generally remained positive enough between both redheads in passing, and now even from the rest of the blonde's separate companions, as well . . . if no longer looking upon Will as though she were to pull a _knife_ out on them at any moment was 'positive,' anyhow.

Still, it was one thing to make forced pleasantries nearly every school day for a mere one to two minutes; it was something else entirely to be stuck spending possibly an entire _day_ carrying on as though things were not undeniably awkward and strained between specific individuals. . . .

Elyon began to wonder if _any_ of this was a good idea, after all, as she then focused upon her bigger concern: _Taranee_.

_She_ did not have the same luxury as Will of seeing Alchemy most days and more or less getting used to her presence, as she attended a separate school to all three girls. And then, moreover, there was the blatant observation that, for whatever reason, whenever her best friend was openly mentioned, indeed _vice versa_ , it was as though Elyon had let loose a volley of the most unforgivable string of words imaginable. . . .

She'd wanted to finally ask them both, outright, what exactly was it about the other which made each girl so . . . _pensive?_

Nervous?

_Angry?_

No, not angry . . . she didn't think, anyway.

But she did know it wasn't normal, and was certainly concerning the heck out of her to always see, especially within Alchemy, someone who had always been so welcoming and understanding, almost to the point of being _angelic_ , or otherworldly.

She truly wished she _could_ better understand what was possibly running through each friend's minds about this, though, and maybe now, with a possible opportunity to do just that, she finally could. . . .

That is, assuming Taranee did not readily make up some sort of excuse not to come along, anymore, as Elyon had the strong feeling she suddenly might.

Sure enough. . . .

"E-Er . . . when is this all to take place? Next Saturday? W-Well, I'm actually not sure I -" the shy intellectual began in between uncharacteristic stammering, lightly wringing her hands together within furthered nervousness, before Elyon desperately interjected.

"- _Please_ don't, Taranee! _Please_ don't back out on me, all right? I-I know . . . that is, I _guess_ I know, or have noticed that whenever Alchemy is brought up you just sort of . . . bow out of the equation, and I really _do_ want to understand _why_. . . . And I also know that you're not exactly . . . soul mates with her or anything like that, either, Will, but . . . m-maybe if we all went out together . . . _finally_ . . . then we could _all_ be friends, and put whatever hangups there are behind us," she pleaded with practically doe-like eyes as she looked from Taranee, to Will, and back again.

Whether or not she was yet aware of the emotional, almost drug-like and honestly eerie effect she continued to have upon both girls, it was not certain to either. Nonetheless, the desired result was effortlessly achieved, Elyon could then see, as both Taranee and Will's faces melted into an expression of mixed sympathy and submission.

" _Yes!_ Thank you, thank you, _thank_ you! You will so _not_ regret it!" Elyon happily cried before practically pouncing onto both girls simultaneously, pulling them into a group hug, within which Csilla was regrettably sandwiched. "O-Oh, _sorry_ , Csilla! Here, I'll take her, now, Will! We have to start heading back home, anyway, so I can finish up my homework – As if I can concentrate, _anyway_ – and then call up Alchemy to tell her all about this! See you guys later! Come on, Csilla!"

". . . . She's getting to be really good at getting us to do things we might not be too thrilled at doing, and then feel like sheer _crap_ if we don't or might not want to – Well, _me_ , anyway," Will commented aloud with a faint smirk as both she and Taranee now stood off to the side and watched their at times unnaturally jubilant companion speed off into the distance with a possibly now motion sick Csilla bobbing up and down within her arms.

Although Will hadn't honestly expected much of a reaction to her semi lighthearted statement by way of laughter, or even an active addition, she did at least think that Taranee would have given one of her usual friendly smiles and nod, while looking after the pigtailed girl with undeniable fondness as she normally would.

This time, however, Taranee looked anything but amused.

". . . . Taranee? Are you okay?" Will hesitantly asked, feeling a bit awkward as her mind went back to Elyon's earlier comments concerning Taranee and Alchemy's apparently strained . . . 'relationship,' as it were. "Is . . . that is, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, obviously. You know I'm generally the _last_ one to force opening up upon anyone, of course, but . . . you seem pretty stressed out, now, and Elyon _did_ pass mention to something about you and -"

"- _N-No_ , no! I'm quite all right, thank you, Mi – I mean, _Will_ , sorry," the Guardian Soldier of Mars abruptly assured, her natural reservations clearly flaring up once more as both girls effortlessly caught her momentary reverting to referring to Will by her last name once more. "I'm just . . . not really too _keen_ on amusement parks, or . . . the _rides_ , rather, that's all."

That wasn't honestly a lie, despite Taranee's obvious desire to throw the generally observant girl off the scent.

Throughout the overall commotion, it had clearly escaped Elyon's mind to even stop to ask if either friend even enjoyed going on exceedingly fast rides, which _unnecessarily_ had to throw in loops, abrupt turns, and even sometimes the added bonus of going _backwards_.

Taranee was fairly positive that someone like _Will_ , at least, how she carried herself, anyway, hadn't any qualms over any of those sorts of things, and was probably secretly looking forward to next weekend, all things considered. And while she, herself, would most likely stick to simply walking about the park, while maybe going on a slightly more tame water ride or two . . . _maybe_ , this was all assuming she would even show up, after all. . . .

Will, meanwhile, couldn't help but feel distinctly skeptical by the other girl's news, raising a bright red eyebrow as she unavoidably sized her up.

She was curious, there was no denying that . . . but she wasn't going to push.

And it wasn't because of the obvious hypocrisy in doing so, either, but due to the . . . peculiar sort of . . . Will didn't want to outright label it as a ' _bond_ ,' but that particular connection _was_ there between them, she felt, different to what she already felt toward Elyon, which in and of itself was quite the special feeling to begin with.

At least, this was what she thought, anyway, ever since both she and Taranee had taken a chance with their similarly well guarded emotions, and had actively chosen to distribute it between one another within the privacy of Will's abode several days prior. . . .

It had since then left her feeling not only overall a bit more relaxed to be around each of her new friends, individually in addition to as a collective, however it also . . . perhaps made her feel maybe not quite as alone, or even misunderstood as before.

Because someone who appeared as 'well put together,' as _perfect_ , almost, as Taranee could somehow seem to just . . . _get_ it, and at times also feel quite alienated, even if the circumstances between them were stark differences, it suddenly made Will feel . . . she didn't want to say ' _hopeful_ ,' but perhaps a bit less burdened where her overall life was concerned. . . .

And so, as though a bit indebted to the other girl which, in fair truth, she technically _was_ , Will gave a light, forced shrug and soft smile as she then stated, "Well, hey. I obviously don't know the overall setup of this particular theme park, having just moved here and all – Which, remind me to remind _Elyon_ to pass over the directions to the place some time before next weekend – but they generally have something for everyone, you know? So if rides aren't your thing, we'll just find something else to occupy our time, while Elyon occupies _hers_ with . . . that Cedric dude. . . ."

Astute as she naturally was, Taranee appeared to effortlessly read between the lines of Will's declaration, as her once contemplative facial expression then began to melt away into one of extreme gratitude.

". . . . Y-Yes . . . I suppose that would be quite possible, indeed, Will . . . thank you," she expressed in kindness with a slow nod, shyly reaching up to readjust her dark eyeglasses. "I, um . . . I guess I will see you next weekend, then, if not before. Have a good day!"

Will casually stuffed her hands into the pockets of her navy colored khaki shorts, momentarily rocking back and forth upon her heels before turning to begin walking within the other direction.

"Mhmm, guess you will, then," she replied with another smile, waving goodbye and started off, before another added thought came to her. "O-Oh, and Taranee? I wouldn't . . . I wouldn't worry so much, you know? I mean, it's just _one_ afternoon inside an amusement park; what could possibly happen?"

* * *

". . . . Well, here we are, again. . . . It's always _such_ a pleasure."

Deite bit down, exceedingly hard, onto his bottom lip in order to further suppress the bubbling rage and daring resentment which currently swirled deep within him as he remained, bowed respectfully before his powerful master's throne and obediently listened to the beginnings of what was undoubtedly to be yet _another_ barrage of reprimanding putdowns . . . for what regrettably felt like the umpteenth occasion, to them _both_.

Except that this time, with great misfortune for Deite, as well as contrasting _jubilation_ for his malevolent ruler, he was quite certain, the red haired general had an unwanted audience within his newfound rival, _Zoi_ . . . who apparently was granted enough leniency to stand just off to the side of their shared lord's throne, and quietly propped himself up against the wall.

Deite was at least thankful for the surrounding, never-ending _darkness_ of not simply the vast throne room, but the entire palace, as well, as he could be the tiniest bit spared any further public shame and humiliation by Zoi being unable to properly gaze upon him as a result.

Everything had been working according to his own design before _he'd_ come along!

. . . . Well, perhaps not _entirely_ so, as Deite had had unfortunate hiccups along the way _well_ before the raven haired general's arrival, courtesy of _Sailormeridian_ , and her recently added comrades, Sailors Mars and Jupiter . . . but he wasn't one to split many hairs.

As far as _he_ was concerned, every last one of them was responsible for his continued failures, and come hell or high water, he _would_ have his ever lasting revenge!

". . . . Do you remember when you tried to kill the Guardian Soldiers – What was it, now? Twice? _Thrice?_ Ohhh, and how we've all laughed, and _laughed_ upon each failure . . . except, I _wasn't_ laughing," Deite struggled to will himself to listen to his master's ongoing verbal abuse, evidently choosing to go down the _quite_ sarcastic route this time around. "Under the circumstances . . . I believe I have been shockingly . . . _nice_ , wouldn't you say, Deite?"

It had taken every last ounce of the fiery tempered Dark General's willpower to suppress the sigh which so desperately yearned to escape past his pursed lips in that moment, before instead nodding hurriedly within agreement to every last word.

"Y-Yes, of _course_ , Master! It is as you say, absolutely! A-And I am, as always, _humbly_ begging your forgiveness, once again!" the redhead spoke with intermingling fear and abashment, as his mouth filled with the bitter taste of ongoing failure, one this time still being readily witnessed by the continually silent Zoi.

If only he possessed the gift of _shape-shifting_ right within that moment, or, at the _very_ least, the ability to drastically reduce his own size. . . .

Deite then dared to straighten his posture a bit and rested his deeply rich, brown eyes pleadingly upon the flax haired monarch's throne, knowing to hope for an ounce of mercy, and have it be seen resonating from him to be fruitless, however looking for it all the same.

He was, of course, unfortunately all too right, as he, and even Zoi, he was quite positive, watched with frightened eyes as their master's right, bejeweled hand suddenly balled up and began to shake with obvious fury, before eerily beginning to glow a pitch, soulless black hue.

". . . . I may not possess all the powers I had so long ago, but I am not _completely_ without a few tricks up my sleeve!" the fair haired man suddenly boomed, his traditionally lax nature abruptly reaching a fever pitch as he raised his glowing fist into the air, before opening it into an overturned palm.

He then quickly closed it once more, before curiously making a sharp, jerking motion back toward himself, in the same instant that Deite let out a bloodcurdling scream as he collapsed onto the cold ground, clutching desperately at his heart.

Zoi could only simply remain where he was with profound helplessness, as he was forced to watch his fellow Dark General suffer and cry out within agony at the literal hands of their truly malicious sovereign, who merely continued to make rough squeezing motions with his now closed and quaking, magically infused fist.

Although the sable haired young man was fairly certain that Deite greatly resented his summoned presence to his renewed tongue lashing, Zoi, himself, had had the distinct inkling that there would be _more_ to their master's avid insistence that _he_ be there, as well.

And now, he knew.

He saw it, and, if he were to be perfectly honest with himself, could outright almost _feel_ it, as well, somehow.

This was not only _Deite's_ current punishment, but his _own_ within the near possible future if he, too, dared to once again fail within his own, separate efforts to locate The Mystical Star of Threbe.

Both Generals' ruler was, if nothing else, a man full of 'subtlety' and tact. . . .

After what honestly felt like a tortuous eternity, to both Zoi and undoubtedly the active victim, Deite, the latter's painful screams were at last given a reprieve, as the pale faced overlord's right fist abruptly ceased within its magical glow, and became quite limp at his side . . . almost as though nothing had ever transpired in the first place.

His facial features appeared to mimic that very notion, as well, as Zoi felt himself staring within utter disbelief over how quite nonchalant his master now resembled, almost looking quite _bored_ , in fact, as though it were _Deite_ to have just then done him a disservice.

Although Deite, himself, was rather malevolent in nature, as well, even Zoi could not help but to silently agree with himself that it would have to take quite the soulless individual to consciously attempt to . . . _crush_ another being's heart, watching as their life rapidly began to bleed away right before their eyes . . . before then proceeding to carry on as though none of it had ever occurred. . . .

". . . . _Now_ , then . . . where were we? Ah, yes! We were in the middle of my deciding whether or not I should slit your throat, here and now, before you so _foolishly_ decided to _patronize_ me," the blonde haired, ruthless man remarked without missing a beat and a cavalier wave of his hand, the very same which had just moments before wielded such tremendous power.

Deite, in between raspy coughs, and shaky, searing inhales and exhales, did his absolute best to maintain his overall composure and limit his display of the otherwise undeniable agony he continued to feel, lest his ruler decided to finish what he'd so pitilessly started.

Taking in a few more harrowing breaths, the wounded redhead took ample care within crafting his next response, as he weakly struggled to pick himself up from off of the ground.

". . . . N-No, my master! I would _n-never_ . . . t-that is, please _forgive_ me for having done so," he began within fragile defense, before realizing it to be the better choice to simply speak the truth, this time.

He did not believe his heart could literally take it, otherwise. . . .

"I-I . . . I _know_ that I have failed you, time a-and _time_ again, all in thanks to t-the Guardian Soldiers -"

"- As well as your avid _idiocy_ , yes, go on," Deite was forced to listen to his monarch throw in the unnecessary jibe, quite obviously with unbridled delight, knowing full well that there was not a thing the younger man could do about it.

"E-Er . . . y-yes, of course, Master! I truly _am_ sorry for this," he stated weakly, bowing within renewed respect as his wounded heart then skipped a rather painful beat within immense fear that the vicious man before him would be able to see through his partial prevarication.

Whether he had or not, Deite was uncertain, as the cornflower haired sovereign thankfully appeared to prefer to let it slide, before clearing his throat to speak upon another matter, instead . . . one which admittedly made the redhead's blood grow cold.

"Perhaps, Deite, the reason for your continued shortcomings is not due to your lack of dedication and loyalty to the Dark Kingdom, and myself . . . but instead due to your now split attention between our cause, as well as your . . . _unhealthy_ focus toward that one Guardian Soldier in particular. Who was it, again? Yes, of course! _Sailormars_. . . ." the older man revealed with obvious delectation, trailing off with added tact in order to further punctuate precisely what he was driving at.

To make it fully known to his lackey that not only was he keenly aware of his burning desire to do away with the Fire Guardian once and for all, _specifically_ , the maroon themed Dark General perhaps wished to do so for _another_ reason, altogether . . . one separate from the 'simple' gnawing of continued, sound defeat by her flame infused hands. . . .

And, before the blithering dolt could _dare_ feign ignorance, the unopposed monarch chose to continue, lazily twirling a few strands of his sea of free flowing locks around his finger as he did so.

"I have it upon good authority – My _own_ – that you have been harboring _quite_ the strong want to be rid of that Guardian Soldier, primarily, quite possibly before anything _else_ were to get done," he started with a purposefully bored voice, although his cool, blue colored eyes held a strong evenness about them as they rested firmly upon a rather perplexed looking Deite. "And I _also_ have it upon good authority – Again, my _own_ – that the _reason_ you'd like for nothing more than to rid yourself of her presence for good is no longer for the simple fact that she has thus far been the one to best you most and quite _thoroughly_ , even more so than that . . . admittedly pesky Sailormeridian, _or_ their latest companion. . . . No, no. Perhaps it _might_ have to do with the little . . . ' _tête–à–tête_ ' you two had shared all those weeks ago at a certain _ball_. . . . Hmmm, I _do_ so wonder . . . _and_ hope, for _your_ sake, that this is _not_ the case. . . ."

Deite would have let out a gasp within that moment, if only it would not hurt so greatly, nor possibly award him with even more pain from his superior.

What was he to do, though?

Attempt to verbally maneuver out of his ongoing, precarious situation, or to simply concede the truth . . . one which even he, himself, dared not fully acknowledge up until that moment?

It mattered not, within either event, at least, not to his master, as both Dark Generals nervously watched as a quite chilling smile began to slowly form upon the older man's face.

". . . . Tell you what you can do to win back my favor, my dear Deite," he began with uncharacteristic kindness lacing his otherwise, generally acrid voice, ". . . you can either seek out this Sailormars directly, and do away with her once and for all, _yourself_ . . . _or_ , do not bother returning. . . ."

* * *

". . . . So, tell me again why I'm even here, when it's _sadly_ clear to me now that Cedric went and chose _you_ over _me?_ "

Elyon was already feeling quite nervous that entire, already generously warm and very sunny Saturday morning, and especially so during her shared bus ride over to _Angel Park_ with her best friend. But now, she was beginning to feel _twenty_ times more rattled at witnessing poor Alchemy's uncharacteristic, and increasingly sour disposition unfold the longer they both stood, waiting for their shared crush to arrive, outside of the already crowded theme park's entrance.

It had been difficult enough to confess to the auburn haired girl that not only had Cedric more or less professed his mutual, romantic feelings toward Elyon, and _not_ her, but that he apparently wished to basically rub it in her face by having her tag along.

Elyon had been so excited on her way home last Sunday after it had all happened, she hadn't honestly stopped to truly think about what such a turn in events would do to her childhood friend.

She _did_ know Alchemy, through and through, however, that much was certain.

She knew that, in spite of her own personal affections for the tall blonde, she would push through it and be happy for Elyon.

However, after the initial shock and adrenaline rush began to wear off, which unfortunately hadn't happened _before_ she had frantically called up her best friend to unleash every last detail without a care, Elyon's hindsight began to kick in.

True, Alchemy had gone ahead and agreed to come along and, true, she had expressed . . . seemingly genuine happiness for her over the telephone, as well as later on that school week.

Seeing her that morning, though, meeting up with her at the bus stop and spending that forty-three minute ride together, forced to make idle chitchat while keeping her own exhilaration to a low simmer the entire time (which, of course, hadn't been at all easy to do), Elyon felt herself actually . . . regretful, a tiny bit, at having convinced the other girl to come along.

_After all, if it were me . . . sure, I'd still come and support Alchemy, but . . . I know that I'd be absolutely crushed to have to watch her carry on with the same guy she was well aware I liked, as well. . . . Maybe . . . Maybe all of this was a bad idea,_ she thought with increased concern, biting down hard onto her peach glossed lips before turning from the busy amusement park's entrance to look upon her visibly pouting friend from behind.

". . . . Alchemy, I . . . I'm _really_ sorry about all this. I mean, I honestly didn't bother to give it much thought, how precisely it would make you feel to come along like this," Elyon apologized sheepishly, suddenly feeling completely naked as she then began to awkwardly grip at her for once lightly styled, free flowing hair, as well as the mildly 'fancy,' overall ensemble she currently had on. "A-And . . . it doesn't help at all that I've gone ahead and gotten . . . _dolled up_ for this, too. . . . If you want to leave, I'll perfectly understand. In fact, we'll _both_ go, together. I mean, we're still a bit early, and I-I _highly_ doubt Cedric's even going to show up, anyway, and -"

"- _One_ , you look perfectly _fine_ , Elle! Like a picture! And no, it's _not_ too much," Alchemy interrupted her flustered friend with a faint, but growing smile, shaking her head as she gave the smaller girl's rose colored, lace and 'shark-bite' hemmed tank top, and white denim shorts with pink daisy stitchery near the waistline a quick once over. "I kept telling you that 'less is more,' and I was right, wasn't I? After all, just because this is _so_ obviously a date – And I know dates when I see them – doesn't mean we have to be too obvious with our excitement over the fact, you know? Gotta leave things to the imagination . . . or so reads all of my cousin's magazines and romance novels, anyway. . . . Besides! When Cedric gets here, and takes one look at you, _especially_ with your hair down for a change, there's absolutely no way he'll be able to resist getting down on one knee and _proposing!_ O-Or, you know, at the very least ask you to be his girlfriend and whatever."

Elyon couldn't help but smile broadly at the very real possibility of such a joyous event happening, and all within a matter of minutes or so (assuming Cedric still decided to show up, that is), rather than the mere, hopeful fantasies both she and Alchemy would share together throughout the course of the last year.

"Y-You . . . really think so? _Ohhh_ , I don't know, Al! I _still_ think that this was a really bad idea! I should have said no out of respect to you, o-or told Cedric that I don't think it'd be a good call to invite you along!" she sighed roughly, her momentarily calmed nerves completely shot once again the more she continued to think about their upcoming situation.

" _What_ , and blow my cover over liking the guy, as well? _Nooo_ , thank you! Especially not now it's so totally over for me. It bums me out, sure, but I can better live with the rejection so long as it stays a _private_ rejection, savvy?" Alchemy teasingly scoffed with a dismissive wave of her hand, smoothing down the front of her comparatively simple, sky blue colored " _Think Happy Thoughts_ " tank top.

Elyon giggled softly at the display, only then realizing the not so subtle message her best friend had been giving her that entire morning via her chosen attire, feeling her chest unclench as she slowly began to realize that things were still all right between the two of them.

"Well . . . so long as you're absolutely sure about this, then . . . so am I! But I don't think I'll be going on any water rides, though, I'm sorry," she said with another smile, before her cheeks grew a soft pink as she referenced the fuchsia, polka dot 'tankini' she currently had on underneath her overall ensemble.

Alchemy rolled her lime colored eyes at this, before playfully stamping her right, black flip flop into the ground.

" _Argh!_ Would you –! For the _last_ time, you look _justttt fiiiinne_ , E! You body is _not_ shaped like a 'freaking potato,' as you kept putting it when we tried on half the city's worth of swimsuits all week! And whether or not you _do_ choose to strip for your – _Our_ man, which sounds _soo_ wrong, now – you will _still_ not look like a 'freaking potato,' and he will be all the more smitten with you! All right? Now, look sharp, because here he comes . . . I think!"

Elyon didn't even have enough time to properly react to the extremely suggestive innuendo her at times bold friend had verbally laid out for her, as she then followed her gaze behind her in time to catch Cedric walking hurriedly around the corner and up the packed street toward _Angel Park_ where both girls patiently stood.

At least, she thought it was Cedric, given the greatly familiar and dreamy looking sea of sun kissed locks was no longer there on his head, and draped around his shoulders and back. . . .

Instead, it was now cut extremely short, especially at the sides and back, while the very top carried the most hair, which appeared to be combed or brushed back into a clean and polished sort of look.

". . . . _W-Whoa_ . . . and you honestly think he isn't going to ask you to be his girlfriend today? The guy went completely all out for today, even as far as cutting off his _deliciously_ delicious hair and turning it into . . . even _more_ deliciously delicious hair!" Alchemy excitedly gave in rushed whispers against Elyon's left ear, the two girls doing their best to resist jumping up and down as their dual dreamboat steadily came closer and closer.

Elyon was about to respond, feeling herself within an absolute daze at the breathtaking, and almost slow motion effect Cedric appeared to be having over everything and everyone around him as he continued to approach . . . when suddenly it were as though a needle had been taken to the lighter than air bubble she'd been encapsulated within, the moment her blue eyes unexpectedly met with an increasingly familiar green. . . .

"O-Oh, no . . . _please_ , God, nooo! Tell me this is _not_ happening!" she cried out with immediate disgust, ducking behind the slightly taller Alchemy, who naturally peered over her shoulder with utter perplexity.

"W-What the –? Elyon, are you all right? This is a _good_ thing, all of this! You're like, thirty seconds away from a 'happily ever after' moment!" she stated with a mixture of lingering jealousy, but overall good nature, turning her body around to face a still very much cowering Elyon.

"Nooo, _no!_ You don't understand, Alkie! I-I think I just saw . . . no, unfortunately, I _know_ I just saw Cedric w-with -"

"- Alchemy? Elyon? Hey, you two, good morning! Well, _afternoon_ in about . . . ten minutes, or so! I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, all the same!" both girls abruptly heard the man in question unknowingly interrupt from behind Alchemy, who turned to properly greet their habitually jovial crush. He then paused a moment, before extending his hand to his left as he continued, "Oh! This is my friend, Caleb. Caleb Cipes. We used to work at this park together, and met before that when I was in my last year at university and we saw each other around campus. Don't let his nonchalant demeanor fool you ladies: he's got a heart of gold, this guy. _And_ is very smart – Sometimes _too_ smart, for his own good, if some of our shared classes were any indication."

While Alchemy shifted her attention between her old infatuation, and quite possibly her _newest_ one with extreme intrigue, Elyon didn't bother to hide the look of absolute disdain she effortlessly felt etching itself onto her face, at the same time she was doing her absolute best to hold her focus onto Cedric, and Cedric, alone.

Of course, she was quite certain that by doing so, the fellow blonde might begin to wonder if he had said or done something to greatly offend her, the way she carried on with her contorted facial expression; however, she honestly couldn't help herself.

It was official.

She was positively, absolutely, one hundred percent convinced now, without a doubt, that the universe truly despised her.

It _had_ to, if it kept thrusting her into various unfortunate, and usually quite uncomfortable situations with this stupid guy!

Caleb, Caleb, _Caleb!_

Everywhere Elyon seemed to go, now, there he was!

She turned around, there he was!

Who knows, she might have eventually been able to forgive his repeated appearances and overall rude and disrespectful behavior toward her given time . . . but now that he was here, here on _all_ days and all places, and of all people to somehow know as well?

This was the final straw!

"W-What are _you_ doing here? _Why_ are you doing here? I-I mean -" Elyon cried out in between stammers before trailing off, unable to stop herself as her frustrated emotions bubbled to the surface, quickly shifting her gaze to glare extremely sharp daggers very close to Caleb's _soul_ . . . assuming he even _had_ one.

"U-Um . . . did I miss something? You two . . . already know each other? Small world!" Cedric began a bit shakily, before broadening his momentarily faltering smile into a strong grin.

At this, Caleb at last spoke, lazily moving his habitually uncaring looking green eyes from Elyon and her curiously blushing companion, to Cedric, and then settled them squarely back onto a deeply frowning Elyon.

". . . . If you can call her constantly ramming into me everywhere I go, basically _stalking_ me, as a result, and then usually whining about _something_ stupid 'knowing each other,' then sure . . . whatever," he delivered with as much dismissive tact Elyon had already been bracing herself for, causing her to tightly clench her teeth within her mouth.

She didn't even bother to respond to this as she forced herself to look, and then turn away, doing her best to calm herself down and look on the bright side . . . if there even was one to be found anymore.

_He's just a miserable cretin, Elyon! We know this! Always will be, seems like, if not even a freaking amusement park can bring him any sort of joy! J-Just . . . stay calm, breathe, and do what Alkie's t-shirt says! You're here to be with Cedric, not Caleb! Ignore him!_ she silently coached, firmly nodding to herself for an added bonus as she felt what she thought was Alchemy's hand upon her shoulder, but looked up to meet her eyes with Cedric's, instead.

"H-Hey . . . is everything all right? I-I don't . . . honestly know the kind of relationship the two of you have, but it's like I said: Caleb . . . he really _isn't_ a bad guy, and . . . he's had it pretty rough, you know? And out of respect to him, I won't say anything more, but . . . just know that anything he says, especially _how_ he might say it, generally isn't truly what he means . . . if that makes any sort of sense," he spoke softly so that neither of their companions could possibly eavesdrop . . . which caused Elyon to completely zone out, as she instead focused upon the very real fact that Cedric was leaning excessively close to her, and that the musky, incredibly irresistible cologne permeating from off of his white linen shirt and beige cargo shorts was rapidly making her feel quite intoxicated.

"Mmm . . . hmm. . . . It's no worries, Ceddy . . . I-I mean, _Cedric!_ " she started out within a dream filled murmur, openly revealing her _very_ private nickname for the man, before quickly correcting herself, her face now completely ablaze as she leaned away from him within apology.

". . . . Huh . . . so that's what this is about," Caleb muttered underneath his breath, softly groaning within mild annoyance as both he and Alchemy continued to watch the two blondes carry on with one another.

Alchemy, who had 'conveniently' moved a bit closer to the tall brunet, managed to overhear him, nonetheless, and nodded excitedly, even though the ongoing sight of seeing her first real crush basically flaunt his obvious feelings for her best friend in front of her still continued to sting a bit.

"Y-Yep! Today's that sort of day. . . ." she confirmed with another nod and shy smile as Caleb looked down at her a moment, before they both looked back at a blatantly blushing Elyon and happily smiling Cedric. She then looked back at him and softly added, "O-Oh. And I'm Alchemy, by the way. . . . H-Hi!"

Caleb sighed gruffly at this, before shrugging.

". . . . Not like I care, obviously . . . but it would have been nice to have gotten a head's up about every last detail going on today. I only came at all as a favor to Cedric. . . . Oh, and uh . . . hey, Alchemy," he stated with another shrug and fold of his bare arms as he continued to look on, and began to frown deeply as he curiously felt a sort of tugging and pulling sensation upon his heart.

It was an interesting sort of feeling, one he couldn't quite put his finger on, but it nonetheless continued to pester him as the seconds passed . . . especially the longer he gazed upon Elyon.

Or, more specifically, Elyon's overall get up.

He hadn't really taken in what she was wearing, or how she looked throughout the previous commotion between them before now, but then, why would he?

It was _Elyon_ , for God's sake.

He may not have known her the way Cedric obviously did, the poor fellow, but Caleb was pretty sure anything concerning that crazy girl wasn't really worth the time to be bothered with . . . especially not the way her tank top and shorts actually seemed to flatter and bring out her lightly tanned complexion. . . .

. . . . _Or_ the way her normally chaotic and pigtailed sandy colored mop was let loose and settled . . . _prettily_ enough onto her shoulders, much in the way it had when last Caleb had seen her.

That was when she was frantically roaming about the streets, looking for a friend of hers she'd apparently had quite the squabble with . . . which made him briefly wonder if the one currently standing a bit too close to him for his personal liking (and who also possessed a rather unique, well no, _weird_ name much like Elyon, herself) was the same friend.

If it was, it was clear the two had patched things up, which . . . curiously made Caleb feel oddly pleased to see, especially given how concerned and upset Elyon had appeared to him at the time. . . .

_What?_

What was the matter with him today?

_Who the hell cares about Elyon, what she thinks, what she feels, and damned sure whom she likes?_ Caleb mentally scolded himself, sharply shaking his head and jamming his calloused hands into the pockets of his black colored shorts. _Just let her do her thing, while you do your thing, and we'll leave it at that!_

As Alchemy was about to speak again, desperately thinking of anything at all to follow up with, especially given the curious tension she'd then felt beginning to build within the surrounding atmosphere, both Cedric and Elyon then rejoined them, as Cedric cheerfully asked, "So! Are we ready to head inside? Oh, wait, that's right! Elyon, where are your other two friends? You did invite them along, as well, right?"

At this, Alchemy suspiciously narrowed her pale green eyes toward her suddenly cowering best friend, whose nose began to wrinkle as she bestowed onto her a very guilty facial expression.

"E-Er, right! About that. . . ." Elyon started, more so to Alchemy than anyone else, flashing the other girl a sheepish grin and was about to continue on, when all four of them suddenly heard hurried footsteps from behind Caleb and Alchemy.

"E-Elyon! Hey, sorry . . . we're late, but Taranee and I decided to come together, and . . . my place is a little out of the way, so. . . ." Alchemy was extremely surprised to witness Will Vandom and Taranee Cook suddenly stroll up to the previously small group, as the tall tomboy quietly explained the pair's slight tardiness.

It wasn't even so much the fact that either girl, neither of whom the auburn haired girl admittedly really knew, were evidently invited along for Elyon and Cedric's big date, as well.

She . . . _supposed_ she could live with that. Well, at least more so on the side of Will, with whom she was beginning to share an awkward, at best, and weakly constructed sort of . . . acquaintanceship, thanks to Elyon's continued insistence of sharing her lunch period back at school with the girl if and when she'd even show up.

And as for _Taranee_ , well . . . given that she did not attend the same school as any of the other girls, Alchemy saw even less of her than she did Will . . . so _that_ particular association had yet to receive any sort of concrete label.

However . . . if Alchemy would allow herself to be perfectly honest, especially at this point in the game, now that she'd given all of it a lot more thought, she would personally refer to it as _rivalry_.

Refer to _Taranee_ as her rival.

And the saddest part was, she didn't even know why!

Well, no.

Alchemy supposed she sort of did, now.

Even though neither girl had even spoken more than a few words to one another the one to two times they had met, Alchemy could immediately sense within Taranee something she did not within Will . . . at least, not so far, given how extremely stonewalled that girl preferred to keep her overall emotions whenever Alchemy would see her.

It was _desperation_. . . .

Except, not the sort of _pathetic_ kind of desperation, really.

No.

Alchemy was slowly beginning to understand that it was . . . more like a terrible _yearning_ which had emanated from the studious girl, a yearning to have a friend.

To have _Elyon_. . . .

And for whatever reason, no matter how much she tried to bite it back down inside herself and tried to rationalize it, it was obvious that none of these emotions was ever going to go away until she either finally talked it out with Elyon, directly, and let her know precisely how her newfound, seemingly already tight friendship with Taranee was troubling her, or . . . finally duked it out with Taranee, herself.

No, no.

Now she was just being silly.

Maybe, though . . . now that all three of them were someplace together, again, Alchemy could take some time today to sit them _both_ down (heck, and maybe even Will, as well, just in case she too was suddenly getting any ideas to move into Alchemy's territory) and make them understand that while she hadn't any qualms about Elyon branching out and making new friends . . . the title of 'best friend' was always going to be _hers_ , and hers, alone. . . .

Somehow, though, Alchemy had the slightest inkling that that would not sit well with Taranee . . . nor Elyon, possibly, the more she thought about it.

_Damn it. I didn't even say or do anything yet, and already I feel guilty! And why should I, when someone conveniently never even told me that other people would be coming along?_ the russet haired teenager reflected with mounting aggravation, primarily toward the fact that her childhood friend just always seemed to have a certain way about her, one which could easily invoke immediate guiltiness and a wish for repentance, whether or not there was fault to be had.

Twelve years on together, and Alchemy would have thought by now she'd have had a better handle at resisting Elyon's subconscious manipulation by now. . . .

Before Alchemy could further think about any of this, nor even openly remark upon the newfound developments, she immediately found herself being rushed by a quick blur of blonde, as Elyon politely excused the two of them before pulling them off to one side.

"O-Okay, okay, now, before you even get upset with me for not telling you this entire time that Cedric had also included Will and Taranee on our date – W-Which, really, now, I'm beginning to wonder if it even _is_ , anymore, at the amount of invitations he'd apparently doled out, here – I only didn't b-because I . . . well, honestly? I was really afraid that you . . . might not want to come, anymore, if you heard that _they_ were. . . ." she trailed off within apology, periwinkle colored eyes beginning to twinkle with deep emotion, which caused Alchemy to exhale heavily to see.

There it was again.

Just like that, she immediately lost her previous sense of slight betrayal over her friend's lack of forthcoming, and actually felt like _she_ should now be the one to beg for forgiveness.

". . . . _Every_ time! I just don't know how you do it! . . . . It's a good thing I love the _heck_ out of you, Elle, I swear," Alchemy remarked with a shake of her pixie cut head, softly chuckling a moment over the profound look of confusion which then suffused onto the shorter girl's face, before hurriedly pressing on as the guilt regrettably continued to settle in. "What, uh . . . What exactly did you mean by I wouldn't . . . want to come if I knew that Will and . . . Taranee would be here, as well?"

At this, Elyon, bless her, softly bit down onto her lip as she discreetly chanced a glance toward their awaiting group, relieved to see that, for now, at least, each of them were keeping busy, with Cedric and Caleb having apparently gone on ahead to take care of everyone's admittance, while Will appeared to be speaking about . . . _something_ , something which seemed to curiously cause Taranee _much_ distress.

At least, for a moment, anyhow, as a few seconds later her face greatly relaxed as both she and Will let out what looked like a long exhale.

Elyon couldn't help but smile at that, wondering for a bit if that hadn't been the two of them attempting to coach and reassure one another that being here together, being _anywhere_ together, _and_ out within public really was just fine, and that it was something to enjoy, not fear. . . .

". . . . Well?" the naturally friendly blonde heard Alchemy ask expectantly, causing her to refocus her attention back onto her primary friend as the happy expression upon her face then effortlessly washed away and melted into one of sadness.

"I-I . . . well, I know now is totally the worst time to even be talking about any of this, especially with everyone here and we're all meant to be having a good time, but . . . I just sort of feel like . . . I don't know. Ever since I first mentioned . . . _Taranee's_ name, for example, and have been making it known that she and I are friends, now, you . . . well, have seemed to meet it with such resistance. And . . . I can't understand _why_ ," Elyon at last confessed what she'd been carrying within her heart for weeks, now, feeling too fearful of witnessing anger or any sort of pain within the other girl's eyes to readily gaze into them just yet. "I-I mean, we . . . you and I, that is, we _did_ make a promise together before this year started that we'd try to make as many new memories and new experiences as possible, didn't we? And . . . that included making new _friends_ to help share those things with. . . ."

This was it.

No more pussyfooting around the issue any longer, or holding her tongue out of respect for her dearest friend's feelings.

It was finally time to be completely honest. . . .

_This was what you wanted, after all_ , Alchemy thought to herself, her mind momentarily wandering back to just several minutes prior, when she had been privately debating over doing the very same thing.

And so, with a shaky exhale, she finally let loose, not only how she'd been feeling about Elyon's newfound relationships, but also how Alchemy had been feeling about their own, lately. . . .

"It's just – ! Okay, so like . . . I _know_ what we promised each other, and you're right! _This_ is the year! We're high school Freshmen, now, moving onto bigger and better things! And it's great and wonderful, a-and . . . _wow!_ Only . . . lately, it's just been feeling like it's been more so . . . _your_ year. _Your_ new experiences, and 'bigger and better things' . . . better _friends_ , even, maybe," the auburn girl began with immense energy, the weight of keeping all of her emotions in for so long already lifting, before she trickled off into an extremely embarrassed murmur.

But, even though she now felt that way, even though she knew full well how much hearing all of this was undoubtedly bothering Elyon to know that not only was one of her companions hurt, but by her own doing, Alchemy couldn't stop now. . . .

"I-It's . . . It's almost like you've taken some sort of . . . I don't know. Magic _potion_ , or something, the way it's seemed like just overnight you've accumulated this _sea_ of new friends and new activities left and right all the time, now – A-And don't bother saying _no_ to this, because it's the truth. It _has_ to be, since most times I've called the house, lately, your folks are always telling me you're either out at the library getting tutored by . . . Taranee, or, more recently, out somewhere _else_ with both she, _and_ Will, with all three of you seeming to be so extra buddy-buddy. . . . A-And how is _that_ one even possible, when, as far as I've always seen, Will can't stand to be around anyone for too long for them to even get to _know_ her, let alone _hang out_ with her," she continued, a bit accusatory this time, making an unnecessarily rough gesture with her left hand toward the pair in question. She then finally looked back at Elyon, light green eyes practically boring holes into her head as she whispered, "Just . . . _please_ , Elyon. Be honest with me. I-I . . . know that, clearly, _yes_ , I've been jealous – That I-I _am_ jealous of them both, but . . . _only_ because I don't want . . . to be _replaced_. . . . B-But, i-if . . . if there's something else going on . . . something I should maybe know about, o-or maybe can _help_ you with if it's something serious, God forbid, then . . . I can't do that if you don't let me continue to be the best friend I've always been to you. . . ."

She meant every word.

She did.

And Alchemy truly did simply wish to understand what was going on within her friend's seemingly new life, help her through it in any way that she could, and then later on maybe have a nice, good therapeutic cry about it.

. . . . In private, perhaps.

However, Alchemy couldn't help but to feel that much more guilt-ridden, as she knew that having thrown in that last bit about _she_ being Elyon's greatest friend, and _not_ Will, not _Taranee_ , wasn't completely necessary in order for the other girl to fully understand where she was presently coming from.

But . . . maybe, it couldn't hurt, if it'd mean finally getting to the bottom of every last detail concerning Elyon Brown, be it new, old, secret, or otherwise.

Regardless, in spite of all of this, Elyon could find no words . . . none which would quench not only Alchemy's, but also her own burning desire to at last come clean about what she, Taranee, and Will have _really_ been doing during majority of those made up outings force fed to not only her parents, but to her other friends, as well.

She knew what she wanted to say, of course . . . however, even without the ever watchful eyes of Csilla (who was most probably lurking about nearby at that very moment, _anyhow_ , knowing her), Elyon knew that if she did take the chance right then to reveal her secret, magical identity, the wise feline would undoubtedly reproof her for days on end later on for it. . . .

_Besides . . . this secret is no longer mine, alone. I can't just unanimously decide for the three of us to tell Alchemy – Tell anyone – anything about it like this_ , the blonde silently weighed in upon her possible options, feeling her blue eyes beginning to water as the budding leader within her regrettably took over, and made her do the right thing, instead.

At least, the right thing within possibly everyone else's eyes but her own. . . .

"I . . . There's _nothing_ going on, Alkie, _c'mon!_ " she started as cheerfully as she could, inhaling sharply as she forced out a playful scoff to help further along the overall, misgiving illusion. "Don't look at me like that! I'm _serious!_ O-Okay, yes, it's . . . true that I _have_ been spending a bit . . . fine, _a lot_ more time with Will and Taranee lately . . . but it's only because I really, _really_ like them. I truly do. I know that the both of them have pretty unwarranted, and _unwanted_ reputations of being unapproachable, or being just plain . . . 'weird,' I guess, but it's not true at all! And, besides! Even if it were, I wouldn't care, and you of all people should know that best of all about me! A-And . . . as for, well, my vanishing acts a lot lately, as well, I'm really sorry about that, Alchemy. _Really_. I suppose I was just so caught up within . . . trying to get to know the both of them better, and getting them to come out of their shells a bit more that I didn't even really stop to think of how much I was alienating the _rest_ of my friends in the process. . . . That's why I'm really looking forward to _today!_ Because with _everyone_ here, together at last, we can _all_ get to know each other more, and, if nothing else, get the overall awkwardness out of the way, once and for all!"

It wasn't _Elyon's_ ideal truth, not the _full_ truth, anyway, but it was a start.

A start to something . . . hopeful, perhaps.

_And, if nothing else, now, the lines of communication will . . . for the most part, anyway, become much more open amongst all of us . . . I hope_ , she mused with a genuine smile toward Alchemy this time, her heart beginning to swell with intermingling relief and the familiar, familial sort of love she knew to possess for the girl, as she watched her slowly begin to return the kind gesture.

". . . . All . . . All right, E. I'll trust you on this whole set up, today . . . _and_ that there really isn't anything else going on," the auburn haired girl began with a light nod, suddenly smirking a bit before adding, ". . . but I'm _still_ your number one best friend, no matter what, let's let _that_ be clear. . . ."

Elyon couldn't help but giggle at this, joyfully wrapping her right arm around the slightly taller girl's waist and gently squeezed as she slowly led her back to the remaining party.

"Oh, absolutely _no_ question!" she gaily agreed with a firm nod and playful salute toward her childhood friend as they continued to walk, feeling for the first time within that past week that she was at last ready to completely enjoy herself, as well as to embrace anything which might happen next. . . .

* * *

Why was Taranee still here? Was there even a point, anymore?

_Sure_ , they had all walked about the amusement park together for the first half hour, or so, before splitting up into two trios, and then later, pairs.

The idle chitchat had been agonizingly awkward to get through within the beginning, true, with Elyon doing majority of mediating, and naturally so, given that the main thing the five remaining party members of that afternoon's excursion had in common was knowing her.

However, perhaps it had been a mixture of the petite girl's normally inviting nature, as well as the generally fun atmosphere surrounding them all which, seemingly within no time at all, everyone slowly, but surely began to engage one another from time to time without much issue, forging, at the very least, a mild, dulcet sort of rapport amongst themselves.

That is, amongst everyone, really, minus Elyon, herself, in addition to that boy she continually found herself running into, and thus could not stand for whatever reason: Caleb.

When it came to the two of _them_ , evidently choosing to stay as far away from one another was an absolute _must_ , with virtually no verbal communication made directly between them, Taranee did notice.

And it certainly wasn't all that difficult to manage, given the whole point of today was for the young blonde to spend as much time with and around _Cedric_ as possible, after all. And if Will, or even herself, at times, were not engaging within momentary conversation with the _younger_ man of apparently few words, anyhow, then _Alchemy_ seemed rather keen upon monopolizing the rest of his time.

Still.

Even with all this having been going on, more or less without a hitch, and . . . she _supposed_ she was actually managing to have a _relatively_ good time, even _with_ the very real possibility that her only recently under control psychic powers would suddenly go haywire again, and she'd be forced to suffer through channels of endless torrents of fellow theme park goers' monotonous thoughts . . . Taranee couldn't help but feel great unease, all the same.

At times, she wasn't honestly sure if it really _wasn't_ simply just her clairvoyant gifts threatening to act up at any moment, or perhaps the natural social anxiety both she and Will unfortunately shared as the overall cause.

And maybe it was.

Lord knew just how many people were within _Angel Park_ at that very moment, and counting. It was enough to make _anyone_ , not just herself, to become downright _claustrophobic_.

And it also didn't really help much when Will, bless her better intentions, was frequently asking how she was "holding up" every twenty minutes or so, it felt like.

But Taranee couldn't get upset about it, even if she'd wished to.

After all, if not for Will and her reassuring emails and general pep talks during that past week, in addition to the continued guarantee that the redhead was still going to go, herself, Taranee most definitely would not have shown up at all.

Well, no, she would have, if only not to let Elyon down . . . but she probably would have feigned ill at some point by now and gone home.

All the same . . . being there, now, at all, and willing herself to remain and do the _complete_ opposite of what she would normally was taking a great deal out of Taranee, at least emotionally.

. . . . And it didn't help that she had barely gotten to spend enough time with Elyon, either, her main motivation for even coming along within the first place.

Granted, it was still pretty early, and this was . . . more or less a date of sorts for the two jovial blondes amongst them, although they _both_ did seem to still continue to try to make it a point to include everyone within their special time all the same, so Taranee supposed she honestly couldn't truly complain.

However, it seemed a little too . . . _advantageous_ that at any time Elyon appeared to be heading her way, either to say something or to do something with her next, _Alchemy_ was suddenly right there, ready, willing and completely able to take her place. . . .

And, at first, it merely left Taranee feeling completely understanding, at last able to personally witness the immense bond she was well aware the two girls possessed.

_Now_ , though, she was feeling positively _riled_. . . .

Wasn't the whole point of a _group_ outing was to go about it _as_ a group, within equal or at least fair enough parts?

That was how they were _meant_ to be, anyway, as far as Taranee knew, given that she obviously had never experienced too many similar events, herself . . . not before _Elyon_ had come into her life, anyhow.

_However_ social gatherings were meant to carry on, _clearly_ , Alchemy hadn't received that all too important memo. . . .

And although her blatantly disrespectful behavior truly was beginning to wear thin . . . it was honestly the _way_ it was making Taranee feel which was worrying and stressing her out, more than anything else.

It was making her become . . . enraged.

And Taranee very _rarely_ grew angry, for nearly anything within her life.

She'd gotten _sad_ a whole lot within contrast, no question, but _angry_. . . .?

The only other instance she could recall ever feeling as such was . . . when she was _Sailormars_ , fighting against the poisonous _Deite_.

And that realization, alone, _dearly_ alarmed her.

Because she could remember how . . . _different_ being that upset made her feel, how becoming Sailormars in _general_ was making her feel. . . .

Taranee Cook was generally a pacifist, preferring to let things pass unnoticed, and perhaps to even suffer in silence if worse came to worse.

_Sailormars_ , however, seemingly preferred to take matters into her _own_ hands, being bold and daring, and was overall _completely_ unlike her civilian counterpart.

It was an observation which had come late to the normally quite astute teenager, and had actually been brought to her attention at all by Elyon within passing not too long ago, who had been pleasantly raving and carrying on about each Guardian Soldiers' abilities once more at the time.

And in the beginning, Taranee had initially brushed the notion aside, having yet to personally catch any sort of so called shift within personality.

However, there was no denying it _now_.

And so many questions were frantically racing through her mind, as a result.

_Was_ it really Sailormars trying to come to the surface within an attempt to encourage the generally withdrawn Taranee to take a firm stand against Alchemy's unwanted behavior, the way Taranee was quite positive by now that her super powered form would have done by now?

And if so, did that mean that her Guardian Soldier and normal halves were somehow two separate . . . _entities_ , so to speak, or was it merely paranoia, after all?

A large part of her actually hoped that that _was_ the case, the latter, as it would raise far too many new inquiries versus feasible answers for even the intellectual girl to handle, otherwise . . . none to which the girls' sagacious feline mentor, Csilla, would openly provide, Taranee was fairly certain about now, as she was slowly beginning to take note of the mystical animal's apparent preference to reveal or explain only just enough of _anything_ in order to temporarily suffice. . . .

Regardless . . . _analytically_ , Taranee would have to be strongly inclined to assume that she most probably _was_ , well, overly thinking things, something she did a lot of within the general sense, _anyhow_.

After all, neither Elyon nor Will had yet to display any stark contrasts to _their_ every day personalities, versus those of Sailormeridian and Sailorjupiter.

The blonde was still every bit as caring, likeable, and loyal within _either_ form, while the tomboy was still rather naturally cautious, although quite gallant and already greatly protective of both her new companions just as much as Sailorjupiter was, whether or not Will, herself, was readily aware.

But . . . obsessive thinking or no, or whether it truly _was_ her more capable, super heroine side at work, it was still _Taranee_ being the one currently afflicted by such turbulent emotions, and was, for once, left at a loss at how to vanquish them.

_. . . . Should I confront Alchemy, or try to let it, and as a result, hopefully my ire, slide? Is she even aware of what she's been doing?_ she began to ponder further as she wandered absently into a nearby ladies' restroom, alone, as Will had just then temporarily departed her side in order to procure a few snacks at one of the many concession stands littered about the amusement park.

She then started to wonder if it even mattered any longer to possibly bring it up to her undesired competitor, as the overall focus of the group's jaunt appeared to have just then shifted, anyhow, as Alchemy had suddenly wished to go on the monstrously sized Ferris wheel looming within the nearby distance with Caleb, _specifically_ . . . whom, while appearing generally neutral about the request before departing with the increasingly excited girl, did seem to make it a point to shift his attention onto _Elyon_ , as though . . . perhaps oddly hoping she might have, for whatever reason, _objected_ to the idea, Taranee had curiously observed.

It was a notice quickly forgotten, however, as before she could have possibly protested, or finally made an active play for Elyon's quality time right then, _Will_ was suddenly the next to decide to break away from the remaining group, making it a point to take Taranee along for the proverbial ride.

". . . . It was _pretty_ obvious the reason her friend, Alchemy finally up and left Elyon to go on that ride with that Caleb dude was because she's trying to give Elyon her 'in-moment' with Cedric . . . although I'm beginning to suspect that Elyon's best friend probably has her _own_ secret, romantic agenda planned, the poor boy," Will had explained after having caught Taranee's perplexed, perhaps even slightly irritated facial expression once the two had parted ways with their diminutive, blonde comrade. "Besides, I'm starting to feel a bit peckish, anyway. So why not take advantage for a bit and grab something to eat in the meantime, all right?"

And so there it was, Taranee once again finding herself up the creek without a paddle, this time by her own friend's hand. . . .

"I think . . . I think that once Will gets back with the food, I'm just going to finally excuse myself from this silly -" she whispered to herself while gazing blankly within the bathroom mirror before her, her breath suddenly getting caught within her throat as she curiously heard her name being called from outside . . . and from someone who sounded vaguely familiar. . . .

". . . . _Taranee_."

_W-Who . . . Is that . . . Nigel calling out for me? B-But how . . . and here?_ Taranee rapidly thought, her mind unable to find a valid explanation, while her _feet_ were already within hot pursuit of finding one before she could stop herself.

". . . . _Taranee_."

As soon as Taranee exited the restroom she immediately found him within the crowd, the same, deep chocolate colored eyes she'd found herself becoming so lost within when they had first met, and possibly again during their shared waltz upon the occasion of Princess Étáin's masquerade ball . . . _if_ that truly had been him, after all. . . .

He was finally back within her life, after all this time . . . and although her rational side should have done more to question the young man's abrupt appearance, especially during such an otherwise stressful day for her, right at that particular moment Taranee was more than willing to welcome any form of emotional relief, or perhaps good luck. . . .

And so, without another thought, she quickly took off after Nigel's curiously retreating form, the both of them easily swallowed up by the surrounding assemblage, right as Will had just then returned with the girls' meal. . . .

* * *

_This is like a dream . . . being out, on my very first date ever, and somehow managing to have been lucky enough to share it with my wonderful Cedric . . . Tuxedo Kamen_ , Elyon inwardly swooned for what felt like the umpteenth time during that so far emotionally prosperous afternoon, as she gently squeezed the large, plush brown teddy bear the young man in question had purchased for her an hour prior within one of the amusement park's gift shops. _I still can't believe how amazing all of this is . . . even with an 'audience' tagging along. Still, not even that fact, like stupid Caleb being here, as well, has been able to dampen our romantic moment. . . ._

Despite the overall confidence within her current train of thought, Elyon regrettably began to feel the broad smile which had been habitually plastered across her face for majority of that day thus far suddenly falter, as the small, but nonetheless nagging feeling of doubt once more threatened to return to the surface.

It had been there, that emotional botheration, for the last . . . at least, half hour or so, as far as Elyon had cared to allow herself to reflect upon it, anyway.

After all, she'd been having a pretty good time, otherwise, with not only just Cedric, alone, but with the rest of her friends, as well, whenever Elyon had been able to tear herself away from the dreamboat long enough to do so.

Still . . . there was something . . . she didn't wish to outright label it as . . . 'wrong,' no, as that would certainly be far too hasty.

No.

However, whenever Elyon would consciously make the connection, or remind herself that she was not just spending time with Cedric, anymore, but also his alter ego, Tuxedo Kamen, she . . . couldn't help but feel as though something was suddenly amiss.

Was it nerves?

_Paranoia?_

Perhaps it was merely the simple concern over making a complete fool of herself at any moment in front of the tall drink of gorgeousness . . . gorgeousness, times twenty-thousand, now, in Elyon's esteemed opinion, now that she had by now gotten used to Cedric's unexpected, although very much appreciated makeover. . . .

_Maybe it's just all in my head, and I'm just working myself over too much, after all,_ the petite girl mused with a light sigh, giving her now most cherished possession another squeeze, this time for comfort.

She then looked across the white picnic table where both she and Cedric were currently sat, alone, having decided to rest a bit due to their various activities that day, and grab a quick beverage within the nearby food court.

Elyon had admittedly felt a bit worried that the others might have wanted to do the same the moment Cedric had openly suggested the idea that they all take a breather twenty minutes prior; however, she was relieved to see that she truly had some of the greatest friends in the world, as Alchemy had 'conveniently' wished to go ride the nearby, and quite astronomical Ferris wheel, thankfully dragging along a generally inert looking Caleb on her behalf, she supposed . . . although Elyon wasn't honestly sure if the auburn haired girl was even yet aware of the full extent of her distaste for the guy.

That, and Alchemy had seemed rather eager to take him off of her hands, regardless, she did notice.

Elyon couldn't help but shiver at the fleeting, possible thought of her best friend actually finding _Caleb_ , of all people, to be _attractive_ , before immediately thrusting the morbid idea down into the recesses of her mind.

She then instead briefly focused upon her two remaining friends, Will and Taranee, and remembered how perfectly timed they, too, had other places to be . . . although _Taranee_ , at least, hadn't seemed all too thrilled within doing so.

In fact, when she looked back upon her overall day even further, Elyon began to slowly recall various moments in which her naturally astute friend had appeared a bit . . . off.

Then again, so had Will from time to time, the more she thought about it.

Elyon had meant to outright ask if the both of them were all right, but besides having found it a tad overwhelming to successfully bounce around between each of her companions thus far, _and_ somehow still fit in enough one on one time with Cedric, she honestly assumed it primarily had to do with both girls' aversion to being out within the public eye.

And _then_ , simply assuming rather than going right ahead and personally verifying as she normally would made Elyon suddenly feel like a complete jackass, a truly lousy friend, and . . . downright selfish.

_Ugh! Maybe it really was a stupid idea to bring along my friends on my first date . . . even if it had been Cedric's suggestion in the first place_ , she silently bemoaned as she once again mulled over the day's overall setup, her previously calm (or, calm as to be expected) disposition beginning to fall apart at the seams. _I mean, seriously, here: Why did he? I know I thought it might have been because he was too shy or nervous to be alone with me today, but . . . so far he hasn't really acted any differently toward me than he normally does back at 'The Musical Star Café.' More than that, he also . . . also hasn't really given off any sort of sign or indication that he's . . . romantically interested, or that . . . he's actually Tuxedo Kamen, either. . . ._

And just like that, Elyon suddenly wasn't honestly sure which of those painful observations bothered her most. . . .

She felt her blue eyes slowly becoming pricked with unshed tears at this, her heart pounding distressingly within her chest as she began to wonder if all of this hadn't been just a big waste of time, if she hadn't been making a fool of herself all afternoon by taking bold chances here and there with carefully timed flirtations which might have been all for naught.

But then, she also started to wonder why her currently mounting upset was even extending toward the possibility that Cedric might not be the inscrutable Tuxedo Kamen, after all, as _well_. . . .

Was it merely because, in one fell swoop, not only would her hopes of finally having the romantic affections of her longtime crush be devastatingly dashed, but also her hopes of having finally found her habitual, and elusive savior?

Or . . . was there something more?

Was Csilla really right, all along, within her previous assumptions that the reason hers, and now also, _Sailor V's_ strict advisory to stay away from him altogether continued to bother Elyon so greatly was because she . . . might have feelings for the masked man?

She hadn't wanted to think about, in all this time, for too long, as it would always make her feel as though she would somehow be betraying Cedric, and the feelings she'd harbored for him during the past year.

But, now . . . now that she was sat there, quite literally, and faced with the prospect that maybe there never had been a chance between them . . . Elyon truly had to wonder. . . .

"Elyon? Are you all right? You look a little bit upset. . . . Should I not have asked that question?" Elyon suddenly heard Cedric cautiously ask at his seat across from her, his voice riddled with concern.

It honestly made Elyon's heart skip a beat and immediately renew with hope to listen to, and she couldn't help but smile within appreciation for it, in _addition_ to just how Topsy-turvy her teenage hormones truly could be at times.

"H-Hmm? O-Oh, um, I'm fine, Cedric, thanks! I was just thinking about . . . how much of a nice time I'm having with you, and how bummed out I'll be when it's over," she managed to quickly think on the fly, although there still was quite a bit of truth to her words. "N-Now, what was your question, sorry?"

_In fact, I think I have a few questions of my own_ , Elyon thought, her wishy-washy emotions once more at play as she suddenly felt empowered, wanting to get to the bottom of everything which may, or may not be going on between the two of them once and for all. _Enough of this wondering forever! I have to know, right now, if he really does like me! And if he's Tuxedo Kamen, after all!_

Elyon watched with increased avidity as Cedric took a quick sip of his purchased soda, before carefully setting it back down onto the table between them and smiled.

"My, you sure know how to make a guy feel special, don't you?" he asked within jest, unknowingly causing the already discomposed teenager before him to grow lightheaded within affect. "But, uh, anyway . . . I was just asking about the kinds of things you like. You know, personal interests, hobbies, that sort of thing. But then, I guess I didn't really need to ask that, when I already know that one of your greatest loves is Cornelia Hale, and her music. Oh, and . . . Sailor V, drawing, and . . . chocolate, I believe."

_And Csilla and Sailor V both want me to stay away from this guy?_ Elyon mused with a faint scoff as she grinned happily, all of her previous concerns continuing to melt away, while allowing herself to get lost within their obvious bonding moment.

Her face then began to grow quite hot as she realized that Cedric was also apparently aware of her growing passion for art, a fact which she preferred to keep to herself for the most part, as well as for the time being, as she had yet to feel fully confident within her drawing capabilities.

"W-Wait, you . . . How did you know about my . . . liking to draw sometimes?" Elyon asked shyly, tucking her sandy blonde head down a bit automatically as a result.

Cedric merely smiled warmly at this.

"Well, to be perfectly honest? I didn't. That is, not until you just now basically confirmed it for me," he explained with a light nod, causing a few of his newly cut, and slicked back locks to lazily fall against his forehead, which only made Elyon desperately wish to openly squeal all the more. "I've only seen you come into the café a couple times with a sketchbook stacked on top of your schoolbooks and the like, so I just assumed, you know? So, how long have you been an artist, and when will I get to see any of your work?"

Elyon immediately shook her head, a bit too roughly, perhaps, the back of her neck growing blistery and prickly with embarrassment as she smiled sheepishly at the now befuddled looking man across from her.

"O-Oh, _no!_ I-I mean, I . . . _don't_ really draw, though. I mean, not seriously or anything like that. Certainly not well enough to _show_ anyone . . . show _you_ of all people," she responded nervously, wanting more than anything to rewind time, or, at the very least, slap herself within the face over having just then placed her foot squarely within her mouth.

_Please don't notice what I just said! Pleasssse don't notice what I just said!_ Elyon frantically chanted within her head, the previous notion of being bold and letting her feelings finally be known already beginning to dissipate.

Cedric, unfortunately, appeared awfully intrigued by his friend's choice of words, as he slowly raised an eyebrow and flashed her a playful grin.

". . . . _Really?_ Is that so? And what would be so bad if _I_ , 'of all people,' _did_ see what you've drawn so far?" he asked with an unexpected wink and twinkle within his blue eyes, almost as though suddenly privy to a secret Elyon clearly had yet to learn.

_Oh, gosh . . . is he . . . Was that flirting? Is he actually flirting with me, now? . . . . Finally? Ugh! This is all so confusing!_ Elyon silently wondered with great exasperation, unsure whether to feel outright elated or further perplexed over the man's apparently sudden romantic interactions. _Just keep it together, Elyon! Deflect as much as possible, and then turn the tables on him by asking him how he feels about you!_

"I-I never. . . .! I mean . . . it _wouldn't_ be bad for you to see my artwork, Cedric, no. . . . Well, maybe it would, b-but only because I think it's basically crap right now, like I said," the blonde replied with a faint smile, shakily reaching out for her own, momentarily forgotten soda before taking a quick sip of it. "I, uh . . . I'm probably really only into it for . . . right now because of my _mom_ , I guess. I don't remember if I ever told you that she is an art curator and conservator. Yeah. So . . . it's most likely just always being around all these really . . . honestly wonderful works of art whenever I go visit her at work, or whenever she might bring a few home to work on within her studio that I . . . sort of feel inspired to try my own hand. U-Uh, at _drawing_ , not restoring them, like my mom does . . . yeah. . . ."

Elyon hadn't honestly realized how lost she had gotten within the moment over reflecting upon her recent hobby, and over the real joy it'd brought her, thus far.

That is, she _hadn't_ realized, not until she looked up from the bright red soda can gingerly cradled within her left hand in time to catch Cedric looking upon her with profound . . . admiration?

_Pride?_

Elyon couldn't truly put her finger upon it, _however_ Cedric was presently feeling; however, she only knew she could no longer hold his gaze because of it.

So much for keeping it together!

". . . . That's . . . _really_ something, Elyon. No, really. I think that it's pretty awesome that you've already seemed to find something which truly makes you happy, something which could possibly turn into something more later on down the road, you know? I remember when I was around your age, all _I_ really had taken interest within were . . . _video games_ , I guess. And maybe lizards, too . . . for a little while, anyway," Cedric complimented with a chuckle at his own expense, causing Elyon to look up and follow suit, although she felt her nose lightly wrinkle over the unfortunate callback to their difference within age.

"You? _Video games?_ I mean, I know Alchemy and I like to talk to you about the latest Sailor V games out from time to time, but I never really pictured you to be the . . . gamer type," Elyon commented with a growing smile, before it gave way to another giggle upon having caught the other blonde's playful look of offense. "I-I just meant that you've always given off this . . . extreme air of complete and utter _sophistication_ , I guess. Opera, _caviar_ , Shakespeare . . . _art museums_ , which . . . I _guess_ might explain your interest within seeing my work."

Cedric let out a hearty laugh at this, lightly shaking his head.

"Oh, wow! You are probably . . . the _second_ person to think that way about me, honestly! What was it, the previously long hair, or that old pair of glasses I used to wear before I got my contacts? You know, the ones which made me look like a _librarian_ , or something?" he asked with another chuckle, causing a feeling of general comfort and overall enjoyment to wash over Elyon, as she felt both her body and nerves beginning to finally relax once more. "I'll admit, though, that you're not _entirely_ wrong about those assumptions. I mean, I _do_ enjoy going to the opera every now and then, which, if ever _you_ get the chance to go, yourself, I _highly_ recommend seeing ' _Carmen_ ' as one of your first – _Highly_ riveting and emotionally stirring! E-Erm, _anyway_ . . . and yes, of course I also dust off a good Shakespeare play every now and again – A lot of my college courses, my English lit classes, to be specific, naturally required it, anyhow. As for the _caviar_ , though . . . we'll have to work on that one. Oh, and I didn't want to see your artwork because I also happen to admire great works of art, myself, but because I'd like to get to know you better, that's all. What could be a better way than that?"

_I don't know . . . maybe if you kissed me, instead_ , Elyon couldn't help but muse with a soft blush, her eyes wandering down to Cedric's lips a moment as a result. _Ahh! This is getting to be too much! It's now, or never, Elyon!_

Inhaling sharply, Elyon looked Cedric squarely within his eyes as she then stated, "C-Cedric, there's – ! There's something I have to know . . . have to _say_ , rather, if that's all right. . . ."

And then, Cedric suddenly grew serious, himself, as he slowly nodded, seemingly within avid anticipation for her to continue, Elyon briefly thought, before _he,_ too _,_ then surprisingly spoke up, himself.

"All . . . right, Elyon. Well, wait. There's actually something _I'd_ like to say, myself – _First_ , if you wouldn't mind," he revealed slowly, causing Elyon's skin to grow tingly, blood surging with heated excitement over the possible implications.

_This is it! He's finally going to confess his feelings! I don't know why I ever doubted him for even a second!_ she thought with mounting giddiness, fleetingly marveling over how she quite possibly could have set the world's record for most times her emotions have shifted within the last fifteen minutes or so.

"O-Of course, Cedric! By . . . By all means!" Elyon barely managed to squeak out before nearly losing complete control of her verbal senses, her heart pounding violently as she then caught sight of a faint rouge curiously dusting Cedric's smooth visage.

"All right . . . well . . . honestly, I just really wanted to thank you for agreeing to come out with me today, Elyon. It's . . . truly meant _a lot_ ," Cedric revealed slowly, a warm smile playing about his lips as a faraway gaze began to overtake his sparkling blue eyes.

_Oooh, I so know that look! That's how Alchemy says I always look whenever I'm around him! That's totally the look of true love! This really is it!_ Elyon giddily mused with an impatient tapping of her left, sandaled foot from underneath their shared table, and feeling less than three seconds away from saying for Cedric what he so clearly wished to now express to her.

Before she could, however, the increasingly nervous young man thankfully continued.

"I'm sure you probably thought, or still _do_ think it's a little . . . well, _odd_ , to put it bluntly, for a twenty-three-year-old guy to ask his fourteen-year-old friend – In addition to _other_ fourteen-year-old girls, at that – to hang out in the first place, let _alone_ at an _amusement park_ of all places," Cedric shakily reflected with an awkward chuckle, playfully slapping a hand to his forehead as he pressed on. "Hindsight's a bitch, isn't it? B-But, uh, _anyway_ . . . I invited, well, ' _everyone_ ,' so you wouldn't feel nervous to be around me, or out of place. And I asked you to come with me at all because . . . well, I've always admired you, Elyon. No, seriously. Well, both you, _and_ Alchemy, of course, but . . . you, especially. I mean, true, you may be young yet, but you've always seemed to possess . . . I don't know. A sort of . . . 'old wisdom,' almost, o-or spirit about you underneath that overall bubbly, and generally carefree nature. And being around that, being around _you_ , has always given me great comfort and peace of mind since you and I first met. . . . You have that sort of way with people, did you know that?"

Elyon honestly felt like she could have died right then and there, and been at complete peace with it, she was feeling that high and up on a cloud, somewhere.

True, a few of her loved ones and friends had commented once or twice in the past concerning her so called people-person abilities, something which she usually brushed off for the most part, as her own personal hangups and shyness at times utterly prevented her from seeing the whole picture, regardless.

However, never had she heard herself be described so . . . _poetically_ , before, or so uplifting and . . . truly _romantic_. . . .

_I have to tell him I love him back, now, or I'll burst!_ Elyon screamed within her head as she crisply sucked in her breath before opening her mouth to speak.

"C-Cedric, I -"

"- N-No, _please_ , Elyon. Just _one_ more minute, and then I'm all ears. I just want to get it all out," Cedric regrettably cut her off once more, raising his hand into the air as he did so. "I . . . don't know if you know this, either, but today is a _really_ special day for me . . . I _hope_. And having you here has given me a great deal of courage to do . . . to _say_ what I need to say. . . ."

At this, Elyon catapulted out of her seat and nodded vigorously, mimicking Cedric's earlier action by lifting her own hand up to stop _him_ , this time.

" _Y-Yes!_ I _do_ know, Cedric! And I completely understand, and agree! I-It's actually what _I've_ been trying . . . been _wanting_ to say to you, myself," she gushed with brief confidence, before her overall anxiousness overwhelmed her and suddenly her mouth felt incredibly dry.

Her growing discomfort for having readily put herself on the spot only grew all the more when she watched Cedric's previously happy, albeit equally nervous expression melt into one of sheer perplexity.

"U-Um . . . you do? Wait . . . you've been wanting to say . . . _what_ to -"

"- Oh! _There_ you are! It is a _miracle_ I managed to find you within this crowd! You _could_ have made it a bit easier on me, you know," an unfamiliar, female voice suddenly called out from behind Elyon, causing her to jump within alarm . . . while _Cedric_ , it curiously pained her to witness, immediately rose to his own feet and beamed from ear to ear as he maneuvered around the table.

She had yet to turn around to see whom the newcomer could be, but somewhere deep down, she already knew.

And she wanted to die. . . .

"A-Ah! _Rebecca!_ You made it! _And_ you found me! F-Found _us_ , right where I said we'd be, waiting! G-Great!" Elyon excruciatingly listened to Cedric suddenly sound very _un_ -Cedric like, and more like a goofy, lovesick _teenager_ . . . much like herself. "I'm _so_ glad you were able to get off work today to come enjoy the park! A-And you look . . . _breathtaking_ , as always. . . ."

It was like a knife was being repeatedly thrust into Elyon's already shattering heart, the longer she continued to stand there, back still turned to Cedric and the unknown arrival, clearly already fading into the background and forgotten by them both.

_This . . . can't be happening_ , Elyon barely managed to piece the painful thought within her mind, as her periwinkle eyes effortlessly began to swell with tears which dangerously threatened to fall once more. _N-No, Elyon . . . not in front of Cedric and . . . whomever this woman is. Wait until you can get away, and then you can cry out your misery in private. . . ._

Unable to stop a sniffle from escaping past her lips, regardless, Elyon quickly put on a brave face and, with as steady a smile as possible, turned around to finally greet Cedric's female companion.

The very moment she did so, however, immediately made Elyon wish she could have turned back around, however for much different reasons than the obvious, which regrettably continued to unfold before her.

She couldn't quite put her finger upon, or precisely pinpoint the feelings this 'just- _had_ -to-be-tall-slender-and-exotically-gorgeous' young woman was currently making her feel, but it was . . . almost sort of the way _Csilla_ had after they had first met formally within her bedroom, upon the occasion of Elyon having first transformed into Sailormeridian.

It was an odd . . . 'tingling,' or backwards sort of queasiness, one which appeared terribly eager to grow the longer the teenager continued to hold her gaze with the warmly smiling, amber eyed goddess.

_God! Even her freaking eyes are exotic! A-Almost cat-like, even, too_ , Elyon continued to silently assess the woman named Rebecca's physical attributes, while simultaneously battling with the inner feelings, both emotional as well as physical, she was unknowingly afflicting onto the blonde.

Before Elyon could have mustered up a few words within greeting (although she wasn't honestly sure she was currently capable of such a feat), Cedric, being the naturally polite individual he was, decidedly then took the initiative.

"Um, Becks, I would like you to meet my friend, Elyon Brown! And Elyon, this is Rebecca Rudolph, my . . . my g-girlfriend," the other blonde started off relatively strong, before his voice nearly faded into nothingness as his continuing nerves appeared to get the better of him . . . especially once he slid his gaze back onto his significant other at his side, and began to smile uncontrollably all over again. . . .

Rebecca hadn't seemed to mind, nor did she even notice, perhaps, as she appeared to prefer keeping her focus upon the much smaller girl before her, instead.

". . . . So you are Elyon, hmm? Cedric has told me an awful lot about you, you know," she stated with a renewed simper of her own and honey eyes twinkling with great intrigue, as she slowly tucked a few strands of pitch black hair to her inverted bob hairstyle behind her ear. "Now that I'm finally meeting you in person, I almost feel as though . . . you and I have known one another for what feels like a _millennium_ , really. . . ."

Elyon primarily _heard_ more than actually _comprehended_ anything which the seemingly polite, older woman was currently saying to her, as the spell she had curiously been under a few moments prior effortlessly shattered the moment her ears translated what _Cedric_ had just said.

Had revealed.

The only word which honestly mattered to her at the moment.

' _Girlfriend_. . . .'

Realistically, she probably should have seen it coming, well before this day. And perhaps she had, what with the habitual feelings of unease and overall doubt over Cedric's intentions toward her.

Still, the hopeful dreamer within had somehow convinced her to hold on, if only for just a little bit longer, as one way or another, she'd have found out Cedric's true feelings for her, while he would at last know hers. . . .

_And I guess I was right about that_ , Elyon thought with devastating misery as reality continued to rapidly settle into focus, quickly reaching up to bat away a tear which regrettably managed to escape from her watery eyes.

The first of many. . . .

Ever the perceptive one, or at least, for anything else _but_ how his young friend had always felt about him, Cedric nonetheless managed to catch Elyon's overall change within demeanor, if not the water works continually making its way to the surface of her normally happy eyes.

"H-Hey, Elyon, are you all right? You don't . . . don't look so well," he observed with a look of great concern upon his face, as both he and, surprisingly (or _not_ so surprisingly, within Cedric's opinion, Elyon was deplorably sure) Rebecca rushed to the secretly heartbroken girl's side with the intention to comfort.

However, the otherwise kind gesture naturally did anything but as Elyon had to habitually suck in quick, sharp breaths as quietly as she could in order to further keep her desperate want, no, _need_ to cry at bay a little while longer.

After another shaky inhale, the dishwater blonde then quickly looked up at both young adults on either side of her and smiled as strongly as she could, before unconsciously backing away.

"Y-Yeah, of course! I-I'm just thinking that that . . . soda and pretzel you bought me aren't really sitting well for me at the moment, is all," Elyon hurriedly concocted, somehow managing to smile even wider as she forced herself to look at the sickeningly beautiful Rebecca in order to finally respond to her. "B-But it's . . . truly nice to meet you, though, Rebecca. I honestly . . . never knew you existed. I-I mean, Cedric never mentioned he had a girlfriend before, in all this time. T-That is –! Never mind, I'm s-sorry. . . ."

Despite it clearly being out of friendliness, the nearly melodic chuckle which then escaped past Rebecca's lips, did nothing to soothe Elyon's flaring embarrassment, nor continued pain . . . and it did not at all help to watch Cedric's face suddenly begin to turn a deep red within that moment, clearly sharing within his friend's abashment.

"Is that so? Well, that's all right. I suppose my . . . natural 'secrecy,' I guess you could say, and want to keep certain matters within my life private has rubbed off a bit onto Cedric, then. At least, within that regard," Rebecca calmly responded within explanation, her amber eyes happily shifting between Elyon, and onto her now mortified looked boyfriend next to her.

"A-A-Anyhow! Now that you're here, sweetheart, you can finally meet the rest of Elyon's friends, as well as my own, Caleb, remember? We'd better get a move on, then, and see if we can't catch up to them!" Cedric quickly cut in, so painfully eager to change the rather awkward subject, hesitating a moment before shyly seizing a softly smiling Rebecca's hand, before both returned their attention back onto a now slightly shaking Elyon.

That was the final straw.

As though learning that the former love of her life was now off the market, indeed never on it to begin with for God only knew how long in secret wasn't torturous enough, watching Cedric continue to stumble about like a foolish schoolboy while around his obvious beloved was simply too much for Elyon to bear.

And now that he cruelly (albeit unintentionally) held the woman's hand within his right in front of her, it was the final blow to her utterly crumbled heart. . . .

Before she could even stop herself, Elyon suddenly heard herself rapidly stammering out, "Y-You know what? I-I'm actually really, _really_ not feeling well, now, s-so I'm just gonna head to the restroom, instead, o-okay? You two go on ahead and I-I'll just meet you a little later!"

This appeared to snap Cedric back to reality, as perhaps the concerned 'older brother' within him then took over as he released his girlfriend's hand, and took a step toward Elyon with a light frown upon his face.

"W-What, wait. Are you sure, Elyon? If you're not feeling well, then maybe I should take you ho -"

"- _N-No!_ No, I'll be . . . I'll be fine soon enough, Cedric! I'm just gonna maybe splash some water onto my face, and then catch up to the rest of you! S-See you later!" Elyon interrupted with yet another forced smile and nod, before quickly whirling around within her spot and took off like a speeding bullet into the vast crowd surrounding the former trio . . . without her teddy bear.

The teddy bear Cedric had gotten her as what she had thought to be a symbol of their blossoming love. . . .

However, it no longer mattered whether or not Elyon had it, nor did she currently care.

She no longer cared if she made a scene, or appeared rude to either Rebecca or Cedric, whom she could vaguely hear calling after her within vain, as she continued to make a hasty exit from such a disastrous predicament.

The only thing which mattered was getting to that bathroom, wherever the nearest one was, anyhow, and lock herself inside so that she could finally, fully express her increasing anguish through her now steadily falling tears until there were none left. . . .

Unfortunately, Fate appeared to have quite the sense of humor, as right when Elyon was about to head toward the ladies' room which had then thankfully come into view, she'd managed to catch the oncoming sight of Will now heading toward her.

_Oh, God, not now, please! I just want to be alone!_ Elyon exclaimed within her mind, knowing by now that even the emotionally guarded tomboy would undoubtedly ask what was the matter, and not leave her side until she either spilled, or felt better about having done so. _I can't handle facing anyone right now, I can't!_

"H-Hey, Elyon! At least I found _you,_ again! Have you seen Ta – ! Elyon? _E-Elyon_ , where are you going?" Elyon heard Will call out to her above the sea of fellow patrons as she began to jog toward her, before her previously calm voice shifted into one of intermingling confusion and concern as she was then forced to watch the blonde's swiftly withdrawing back.

"T-There just _has_ to be some place within this park I can hide out for a while!" Elyon said to herself in between wet, sobbing hiccups as she continued to run away from yet another friend for the second time within a few minutes, doing her best to embarrassingly shield her rapidly reddening face from open view at the same time.

While she was fairly certain Will would understand her unexpected actions once everything was explained to her later on . . . _if_ everything was explained to her later on, the only thing which currently mattered to Elyon was finding somewhere to be as alone as she presently felt. . . .

* * *

"There just _has_ to be some place within this park I can hide out for a while!" Caleb muttered to himself as he walked as quickly as he could, as far _away_ as he could from both the Ferris wheel, as well as _Alchemy_.

He almost feared, however, that he would not be able to move fast enough, not the way that that 'eager beaver' of a girl had so far continued to prove herself capable of keeping up with him every step of the way since first arriving to the park that afternoon. . . .

The things he did for friends.

If it hadn't been for _Cedric_ and his honest, desperate plea for him to accompany him during "what could be _the_ most important day of my life," according to the older man, Caleb would have never stepped foot onto the grounds of _Angel Park_ ever again.

He couldn't _stand_ having worked there, pretty much every single day during the past year, primarily due to his never really having been the 'people person' type . . . not that his current, _much_ better, and better _paid_ job afforded him _too_ too many opportunities to lay low, either, within hindsight.

But, hey.

At least he didn't have to deal with screaming, obnoxious _children_ every which way, anymore.

His vile Kryptonite.

That, and apparently _super_ clingy girls who didn't know how to take a hint. . . .

It was bad enough that Caleb had to give up his day off to willingly (more or less) place himself within an overall less than ideal situation, and all within the name of love, at that (which was something he generally never truly believed much within, to begin with).

But the day only got that much 'better' the moment he realized that he'd be directly sharing it with a small gaggle of stupid, teenaged girls, something which Cedric _conveniently_ neglected to mention. . . .

Well, no.

To be fair, that one girl . . . Taranee, Caleb believed was her name, seemed all right.

_Quiet_ , and as though she, too, didn't really want to be at the park any more than _he_ did, but all right. And he was pretty sure he'd already met her once before, anyhow, and hadn't any issues with her then, either.

And then there was that _super_ tomboy, it seemed like, Winifred or whomever.

Now, Caleb could definitely see himself hanging out on any random day of the week with _that_ chick, based upon the general, "I don't honestly give an eff" sort of attitude she seemed to possess, or at least was doing a pretty good job of conveying toward the randoms constantly passing by that afternoon, anyway.

She was almost like a female version of _himself_ , as . . . honestly backwards as that sounded, and yet was so oddly 'refreshing' to observe.

But then, there was the _other_ redhead, who was sadly _nothing_ like the taller one.

_Alchemy_ . . . who'd made it an avid point that Caleb dare not forget, _nor_ mispronounce her name, much to his 'delight,' in addition to making sure she stayed glued to his side for majority of today's outing. . . .

Honestly, if the restrooms here were _coed_ , Caleb wouldn't be at all surprised, albeit quite mortified, if the blatantly interested girl followed him into the only place he'd been so far able to shake loose of her constant presence.

Well . . . it wasn't as though Caleb believed her to be an outright, _terrible_ catch, or person, no, within all . . . mild fairness to her.

He just . . . wasn't interested.

Not even remotely _flattered_ to have 'some random chick' fawning over him, either.

But, it wasn't entirely all Alchemy's fault, though.

Caleb just wasn't really on the look out for any sort of dating prospects with anyone at the moment, nor was there anyone who had yet to catch his eye too much . . . which was probably a good idea, considering the moonlighting sort of gig he currently had going on on the side.

It would otherwise most likely be rather difficult to shake off his girlfriend, if she were as . . . _intense_ as Alchemy, for very long in order to go running off somewhere within the city to hopefully finally locate The Mystical Star of Threbe as _Tuxedo Kamen_ , after all. . . .

Besides, it was pretty much over well before it had any sort of legs to stand on between he and Alchemy the moment he both saw and realized that her apparent best friend was none other than _Elyon Brown_. . . .

About how many _more_ times was Life going to rewind time, and once again cause him to run into one of, if not his currently least favorite individuals to associate with, anyway?

Not even a relatively innocent excursion with a former college buddy was safe, it seemed, nor did it no longer seem even feasible to _remain_ Cedric's friend, considering he was kind enough to drop the bomb that both he and Elyon were companions, themselves.

_Why_ , Caleb didn't think he'd ever fathom.

Unless Elyon somehow had more to her than what he'd personally witnessed, thus far, he was pretty sure she would remain as every bit of one dimensional as the brunet had always viewed her to be since day one.

None of it, her presence, that is, honestly mattered to Caleb anymore by now, anyway, seeing as the normally vexing blonde had been thus far far too busy preoccupying both her time and energy onto Cedric, primarily, and making certain he realized she was there and looking . . . pretty, he guessed.

. . . . Not that _Caleb_ had suddenly changed his mind and now thought that that was how she looked, presently, or otherwise.

_Course_ not.

It was merely what he surmised that Elyon was hoping _Cedric_ thought of her, based upon the way she was dressed and the obvious flirting Caleb would catch her do from time to time.

When he _bothered_ to re-acknowledge her presence, that is . . . which he really didn't do much of, anyway.

After all, Elyon had certainly been doing _her_ part to pretend _Caleb_ didn't even exist, let alone was there, along for the ride of what she clearly believed to be a date of some sort . . . not that that observation bothered him.

It didn't.

Neither one, in fact, but _especially_ the latter, given that Caleb personally knew of the day's true intent all along, thanks to Cedric's frantic phone conversation with him about it several weeks prior, after all.

Maybe if the brunet actually gave a damn . . . or wasn't being so thoroughly ignored by her, he might have actually bothered to give the flirting-but- _failing_ Elyon the head's up so that she could finally save herself the trouble.

However, Cedric's love life was _his_ business, and his _problem_ (despite his consistent attempts to get Caleb involved within it far more than he ever should be, that is).

If one chick's feelings had to be dashed in order for him to ultimately get what he came here today at all to get, then so be it.

. . . . Strangely, though, that thought didn't really appear to be sitting well with Caleb, especially after he'd taken a look at his watch to catch the time just then, and realized that it was nearly 'showtime' for Cedric.

Frankly, it was an honest miracle he'd been able to think at all, considering he'd only just managed to survive an entire Ferris wheel ride, trapped _alone_ , with the sometimes shy, but ever chatty Alchemy talking his ear off for the past fifteen minutes. . . .

While he _did_ appreciate vaguely catching that she had been within her own band not too long ago, and that the two evidently shared a slightly similar taste within music, it was still way too much, way too soon for Caleb to handle.

Girl talk _overload_.

Thank God for the general gullibility of the female species, or else Caleb would still probably have Alchemy nipping at his heels right then, instead of agreeing to see him a bit later, after he'd made a quick, but "very private phone call" to one of his truthfully nonexistent relatives. . . .

And so there he was, alone, _finally_ (so to speak), faced with his increasingly uncharacteristically concerned thoughts for a person he generally couldn't care less for, rather than the much needed breather and peace he'd been hoping for.

_Why the hell do I, or should I even care, though? People get their hearts broken all the time, every day. I'm sure there are at least thirty other people here today who are also currently getting 'dumped,' so why should Elyon be any different?_ Caleb thought with fairly loose logic, a light, but growing scowl forming upon his tanned face as he kept on blindly walking to whatever destination his feet ultimately led him to.

It was severely stupid that he was even thinking about any of this.

It was severely stupid that he was even thinking about _Elyon_ to begin with, _again_ , and that he continued to do so despite his best efforts to shift his mind elsewhere.

_This is a complete waste of time! I'm just gonna bail, now, and apologize to Cedric later on about it. I've paid my dues for long enough_ , Caleb mentally decided, a bit callously, before beginning to will his body toward a nearby exit, when he suddenly realized it had subconsciously brought him to the park's currently closed and refreshingly quiet (and thankfully so) amphitheater.

Now _this_ was a place, the _one_ place of _Angel Park_ which hadn't really bothered Caleb too much, despite its generally intended, and habitual use of packed, loud, and obnoxious various shows and other forms of entertainment.

During the downtime when it wasn't, however, it had become a haven of sorts for the general loner when he'd still worked there, just sitting upon the stage or within the empty stands to gather his thoughts . . . thoughts which were usually quite stressful, or doleful. . . .

He hadn't been back there _since_ he'd quit over a year ago, or even really thought about the place, again, so he honestly wondered what would compel him to journey there, subconsciously or not?

And then, he heard it.

The faint, yet undeniable sound of _crying_. . . .

Although he did make it a point to avoid any and all situations and _people_ which might involve doing so, Caleb could easily recognize the sound of great pain when he heard it.

It was an emotion he was regrettably quite familiar with, himself. . . .

"Wh . . . Where is that . . . coming from?" Caleb cautiously whispered to himself, an eyebrow slowly raising within mild intrigue as he carefully approached the sizable amphitheater.

Ignoring the naturally vacant seats at the moment, he crept ever closer to the equally empty stage, where the disembodied, wailing sobs curiously began to grow louder.

A deep plum curtain was currently drawn down, shielding majority of the vast platform from view and protecting it while it was not within use . . . which Caleb slowly began to surmise that it was currently _also_ acting as shelter for another reason, the closer he approached. . . .

Knowing that there was a relatively cozy, man made and scenic pond surrounded by a platoon of various trees and other sorts of foliage behind the actual stage's overall construction, Caleb had a feeling that whomever was attempting to hide out in peace would most probably be somewhere down around there, instead.

And that was why the normally emotionless young man felt confident enough that he would not be noticed, as he slowly pulled the deep velvet material of the curtain aside in order to finally see exactly whom it was who was currently being so worked up, and why. (Although why he even _cared_ to find out was _still_ greatly beyond him. . . .)

Caleb nearly felt his heart jump into his throat when his green eyes startlingly rested upon the familiar sight of none other than _Elyon_ , whose back was thankfully his greeting as he continued to watch her carry on within her mysterious mourning song of sorts.

". . . . I-I d-don't know . . . wh . . . what I honestly b-believed would happen b . . . b . . . between us! O-Of _course_ he has a g-girlfriend! Someone as g . . . great and wonderful like that _should_ ha . . . have someone as beautiful as . . . _Rebecca!_ N-Not . . . not some _pathetic,_ t-teenaged lo . . . _loser_ like me!" Caleb could only just manage to catch the petite blonde viciously cry out to herself in between deep, hyperventilating sobs within the distance, managing to appear somehow even smaller and helpless to him than she normally did within the process.

And, for some unknown reason, yet again, it honestly _bothered_ him. . . .

Especially listening to the harsh insults Elyon had directed toward herself without hesitation.

But, why?

Why _did_ she keep making him think or feel things he generally never did, let alone over someone like her?

_And it wasn't as though this should even surprise me, seeing her crying over her obvious rejection from Cedric. I already knew this was coming, after all_ , Caleb did his best to mentally reassure himself with a faint nod, although increasing frown, as he felt his body wish to turn away from the honestly private scene, while his _eyes_ remained stubbornly glued to Elyon's overall fragile form straight ahead.

It honestly wasn't any of his business, though.

And even if he wanted it to be, which of course, he didn't, it wasn't as though the heartbroken girl would _welcome_ his presence, nor anything he might have had to say about the overall matter.

_Just walk away, Caleb. . . ._

Before he could even take an actual step, however, the sudden, unexpected ringing of what sounded like a cellular phone startled him, temporarily distracting him from his very brief resolve to remove himself from both the area, as well as Elyon's private affairs.

Quickly ducking behind the curtain he continued to remain stealthily behind, Caleb waited a few more moments before slowly reopening the thick fabric in order to chance another look toward the suddenly very quiet girl within the distance.

"H . . . Hello? Csilla? W-Wait, what's . . . _what's_ going on? . . . . _No!_ Hold on, I'm coming!" Caleb curiously watched as Elyon spoke into the blue colored cellphone she presumably had pulled out from one of her pockets moments prior, her overall demeanor almost eerily morphing from one owned by an emotional, incapable wreck, to that of one with sudden, and very unexpected _strength_.

_What the hell was that about? And . . . 'Csilla?' Wasn't that the name of the cat with . . . Sailormeridian and Sailormars during the evening of Princess Étáin's royal ball?_ Caleb began to think, struggling to piece together what was now unfolding, before a sudden, rather alarming hypothesis then arose. _But, wait . . . then that would mean. . . ._

As though a mind reader, Elyon, within that next moment, unintentionally satisfied the young man's mounting curiosity, as she hurriedly put her cellphone away and appeared to cautiously look about her surroundings briefly (and apparently could not see Caleb's head just barely poking out from behind the velvet stage curtain), before crying out, " _Meridian Eternity Power, Make Up!_ "

Caleb felt his mouth slowly fall open, eyes instantly becoming blinded by a sudden explosion of swirling light, with various shades of blue beginning to bleed through as the seconds continued to pass, and Elyon could no longer be clearly seen.

As quickly as it had begun it was over, however, and as the multitude of illuminations died down to nothing but a few trailing sparkles here and there, Caleb suddenly found himself face to face with none other than Sailormeridian. . . .

_Sailormeridian_.

The young woman whom he had initially lamented running into at every turn recently, nearly throughout his ongoing quest to retrieve The Mystical Star of Threbe, before said lament slowly graduated to begrudging respect to . . . something he still truly could not firmly place a finger on, besides putting it down as a fleeting sort of attraction. . . .

The woman whose life he would save on occasion as Tuxedo Kamen and, during one particular instance, had saved _his_ within return.

And the woman whom Caleb had actually, at one point, momentarily compared to the girl in question, believing that the two shared vaguely similar eyes, as well as possible spirit. . . .

He was _now_ faced with the undeniable truth, whether or not he liked it:

Elyon Brown and Sailormeridian were one in the same. . . .

Feeling quite befuddled, and rather queasy all at once, Caleb mutely watched as a firm look of unwavering, fiery resolve suffused itself onto El . . . _Sailormeridian's_ face (an expression which he would never before believe ever capable of forming for someone like her, especially given the way she'd been carrying on just minutes prior), before she abruptly took off running toward destinations unknown.

Unable to stop himself, Caleb hurriedly rushed out from behind the curtain to properly watch her go, swallowing hard before at last finding his voice.

". . . . Y-You've . . . got to be _kidding_ me."

* * *

This was the _last_ thing Alchemy ever expected to have happen to her, to _anyone_ , while out at an _amusement park_.

That instead of merely _thinking_ , for a few minutes at most, that she might die, thanks to whatever thrill-seeking ride she might have chosen to go on that day, there was now an extremely strong possibility that she really _would_ perish . . . and at the hands of one of, if not the most threatening individuals she had ever faced within her entire life. . . .

It was becoming increasingly difficult to think at _all_ , the more the perilous moments trudged on, and her trepidation only further magnified as a result; however, the one thing she kept on focusing upon and wishing more than anything was that she could reclaim those few, precious minutes from earlier, and somehow convince herself not to allow her curiosity get the better of her and follow a mysteriously behaving Taranee into the otherwise temporarily sealed off 'House of Mirrors. . . .'

If she hadn't wanted to _finally_ clear the air between the two of them, now that the quiet girl was at last without her bodyguard of sorts, Will, and that Alchemy, herself, was also alone for the time being (primarily because she could not find her impromptu 'date' of sorts, Caleb, much to her chagrin), then perhaps she would still be safe and sound, with the strong chance of going home to see her parents at the end of the day . . . not crying profusely, and shaking uncontrollably while reflecting upon how much anguish they would go through to learn that their only child was gone. . . .

But it still wasn't _Taranee's_ fault . . . or was it?

It was honestly so very difficult to comprehend, nor believe, anything which had been transpiring amongst the three of them . . . or rather, amongst Taranee, and the red haired _demon_ of a man who was currently holding Alchemy hostage, ever so slowly squeezing the life out of her, almost _tauntingly_.

Alchemy was simply within the wrong place, at the wrong time, and was now merely collateral damage, to _both_ parties, it almost seemed like.

No, that was perhaps unfair of her to believe, even within her petrified state, as while she had yet to make any sort of active move, Taranee _did_ appear undeniably concerned for the safety of someone whom, up until that very moment, hadn't thought very much of her. . . .

_Is this my punishment, to be murdered by this psychopath, with the only one who could possibly save me being my rival for Elyon's friendship?_ Alchemy thought deplorably, renewed tears of utter despair effortlessly filling her lime colored eyes and trickling down her reddening face.

Even if she _could_ somehow manage to free herself from the ridiculously strong grasp of her captor, she could barely recall where the entrance to that vast, and hopelessly empty fun house maze was, let alone somehow find its _exit_.

The only thing Alchemy _could_ do now was pray . . . pray for a miracle, or for a swift, and merciful end to her tragically short life. . . .

* * *

"So? What's it going to be? Either give up your transformation ring, _and_ life energy here and now, or your friend here will give up her _own_. . . ." Taranee gritted her teeth harder and harder as she listened to Nigel . . . no, _Deite_ , viciously spit at her with pure venom within his brown eyes . . . the eyes she'd only just before believed to be truly kind and mesmerizing, before both them and he surprisingly morphed into the utter monster she was regrettably more familiar with.

How did it even come to this point, to not only learn that the boy she had only met once, possibly twice before and had made her feel things she'd never had before, was suddenly also the person she both loathed and feared the most?

How had her psychic abilities not picked up upon the fact that it was all a trap?

What truly _had_ been the chances to have finally bumped into 'Nigel' after all that time, and within such a crowded setting where it was quite easy to get lost, or never notice something or someone at all?

She really _should_ have, at the very least, followed her basic, human instincts, instead of allowing her excitement and emotions get the better of her and charged after his withdrawing form, straight into the closed off 'House of Mirrors!'

Straight into her impending doom. . . .

_If you had followed those instincts, then you wouldn't be within this very serious mess, not only without backup, but with an innocent to save, as well!_ Taranee silently remonstrated herself, her body quaking with intermingling fright and mounting anger for the second time that day, à la _Sailormars_.

Unfortunately, however, Sailormars would not be able to assist her, if _Deite_ had anything to say about it. . . .

Taranee's eyes then shifted onto a positively petrified Alchemy, the _last_ person she'd have expected to see within that moment, or whom would have apparently followed after her inside, for whatever the reason.

Her heart honestly went out to the girl, and toward her own, undeniable fear, as it was not too long ago when Taranee, herself, had been within that very same predicament . . . her _own_ life rapidly flashing before her eyes as Deite aggressively continued to threaten to squeeze the very last breath from her body. . . .

It was for that reason, alone, that she absolutely _had_ to do something, with or without her powers, _or_ regardless of how she might have personally felt about the russet haired girl, and vice versa . . . but _how?_

_If I make a move and transform, Deite might very well follow through with his threat and kill Alchemy! But if I don't . . . then we're both most likely going to die, anyhow_ , the naturally logical girl mentally wrestled within her mind, struggling to formulate some sort of plan, choosing to dismiss the glaring fact that a _civilian_ now knew of her formerly well guarded secret, as it was now already too late to do much about it. _I can only hope that either Will or Elyon take notice of my absence and come searching for me, and soon. . . ._

"H-How . . . How did you ever learn of my true identity? On t-that . . . that day when you'd captured me before I first transformed, you -"

"- Left before you could? _Good_ eye and memory, but it didn't mean that I didn't have _ears_ and heard what was being said by that _stupid_ cat, and your fellow Sailor-Annoyance, _Sailormeridian_ before I'd gone. I eventually put two and two together after that, the longer I thought about it, and the more I thought about _you_ . . . or should I say, your _alter ego_ , and how positively _delicious_ it was going to be when I finally received sweet retribution for all the misery you've _both_ put me through ever since our first encounter!" Deite roughly barked as he clearly was becoming increasingly unhinged, his eyes curiously flickering a brief image of what appeared to be . . . honest hesitance, before it was swiftly drowned away by renewed ire.

Several droplets of saliva nauseatingly landed onto a continually whimpering Alchemy's cheek within that moment, who now began to desperately gasp for fleeting breaths as the violent man renewed his attempts to choke the life from her body.

"Now, I will _not_ be denied my vengeance a moment longer! _Relinquish_ your ring and your life, or _forfeit_ hers!"

This was it.

No more stalling, and no more hoping.

No matter _what_ happened beyond that point, the only thing Taranee knew for absolutely certain was that Alchemy would _not_ be made to suffer a moment longer.

She was _going_ to save her, no matter the cost. . . .

* * *

"T-Taranee! Al . . . _A-Alchemy?_ _No!_ "

Both Sailors Meridian and Jupiter, in addition to Csilla couldn't believe what they were now stumbling onto as they rounded another endless corner within that infernal amusement park maze, and at last managed to locate their missing Guardian Soldier comrade . . . only to find her deathly pale form crumpled helplessly upon the ground, with an evilly smirking Deite looming over her body.

And next to her, _much_ to the surprise and horror of Sailormeridian, especially, was Alchemy, whom also appeared to be every bit upon Death's Door, as well. . . .

"Sailormeridian! You have to do something, and _quick!_ Both of their life energies have been siphoned! You _have_ to heal them, _now_ , or else it will be too late to save them!" Csilla cried out after quickly assessing the situation, as the Dark General abruptly broke out into raucous, almost delirious laughter at their expense.

"' _Save_ them?' There is nothing left _to_ save, you fools! At this very moment, their energy is helping to serve my master and His ultimate goal! And it's all thanks to _me!_ " he remarked with profound delight, before unceremoniously stepping over both Taranee and Alchemy's dangerously still bodies, and raising his right, gloved hand to reveal yet another triumph against his foes. "Look familiar? Seeing as your companion will no longer need this where _she's_ headed, I figured I might take a little trophy for all my hard work. . . ."

Sailormeridian inhaled sharply as her blue eyes met with what she immediately recognized to be Taranee's transformation ring, the deep red symbol of Mars brilliantly shining against the multitude of lights within the fun house.

" _H-How?_ Give that _back!_ " she cried out fruitlessly, both her overall fear and feelings of helplessness increasing tenfold as each second preciously ticked on.

_Nothing_ like this had ever happened before.

As dangerous as every other mission as a Guardian Soldier had been up to that point, _somehow_ they were always able to make it through.

_Together_.

But, now. . . .

_Maybe if I hadn't been so busy bawling my eyes out over Cedric, and fawning over him all day, then none of this would have happened. . . . I should have never forced my friends to come out with me, today_ , Sailormeridian regrettably thought as tears began to blur her vision, feeling utterly unsure of how to act next.

Sensing her leader's effortlessly dissolving conviction, alongside her only just recently acquired, overall confidence right along with it, Sailorjupiter quickly took a step forward, hands already beginning to glow an intensified emerald as she cried, "Sailormeridian, snap _out_ of it! Now is not the time to be giving in! _I'll_ take care of getting Taranee's ring back, while _you_ focus upon healing her, _and_ Alchemy!"

Before either Guardian Soldier could act, however, Deite suddenly roared with pain and hunched over, cradling the hand which had only previously held onto the magical piece of silvery jewelry within question, as a mysterious and dark lavender illuminated, disc shaped object suddenly launched through the air past the girls' heads, and straight toward its obviously made mark.

Although _also_ feeling greatly stunned, Csilla was thankfully the first to recover amongst the trio of females, as she then wasted no time within swiftly charging toward Taranee's precious transformation ring where it had landed in between a still recoiling Deite's feet, scooping it up carefully within her tiny mouth before making an abrupt u-turn and returned to her charges' side.

" _Now_ , Sailormeridian! Do as Csilla and Sailorjupiter say and save your friends, while _we_ take care of Deite!" roughly instructed a voice from behind the trio, a voice which Sailormeridian would now recognize from anywhere. . . .

She didn't need to turn around to know that it was Sailor V who was quite suddenly, and quite _surprisingly_ upon the scene, nor did she yet bother to acknowledge her properly, even when she felt the fellow blonde settle at her side after quickly catching the fast approaching discus which had just then returned to her.

The _only_ thing which mattered now was to bury down her fears and do as she was told, before it truly _was_ too late for her friends . . . for _any_ of them.

" _Meridian Healing Escalation!_ " Sailormeridian exclaimed as soon as she summoned forth her light blue, and crystal star topped wand, harnessing its restorative power in order to magically mend Alchemy and Taranee both in time.

Within that same instance did both Sailor V, as well as Sailorjupiter seize that all too important opportunity to act, simultaneously releasing offensive attacks toward a now recovering Deite in order to keep him subdued, if not finally defeat him, altogether.

" _Supreme . . . Thunder!_ "

" _Crescent Beam!_ "

Unfortunately for the Dark General, however, he _was_ able to regain his composure just in time to catch the powerful surge of violent lightning interweaving with a thick, intense beam of golden energy heading straight for him.

Before he could react, the sickening sound of bones crunching was heard, even over his renewed screams, as both magical attacks fiercely barreled into his chest with expert precision, causing him to be effortlessly ripped from his feet and slammed blindly into the series of floor length mirrors behind him.

Only Sailor V bothered to continue to maintain a firm, icy gaze upon the seemingly down and out Deite, whose turn it was to suddenly appear quite battered and lifeless upon the ground, while both Sailors Jupiter and Meridian immediately rushed to Taranee and Alchemy's still unconscious bodies.

Each Guardian Soldier gingerly grabbed onto the fallen victims and began dragging them as far away from the perilous scene as possible, although it was certainly a bigger challenge for Sailormeridian to do than it was for Sailorjupiter, courtesy of her naturally bestowed physical strength.

"D-Did . . . Did it work? Are they going to be okay?" Meridian frantically asked in between tired grunts, carefully setting Alchemy's limp and sickeningly cold body back down onto the ground a moment, before looking up at a quickly advancing Csilla, who then carefully dropped Taranee's transformation ring into Sailorjupiter's open palm.

"Y-Yes . . . _Yes!_ I sense that they will _both_ recover . . . given enough time and rest. You _did_ it, Sailormeridian," the mystical feline praised, after taking a brief moment to assess the impaired duo's vitals and overall appearance.

Both Sailorjupiter and Sailormeridian breathed a deep sigh of relief at this, especially once they thankfully saw the color and felt the physical warmth slowly, but surely beginning to return to their incapacitated companions.

Even though neither girl had yet to awaken, so long as they were definitely going to live and were now safe, then that was all that currently mattered.

There was only one more loose end to tie up. . . .

" _You!_ " Sailormeridian suddenly heard Sailor V hiss within surprised anger, causing the remaining females to look up in time to see the _other_ Dark General whom the Guardian Soldiers had briefly met about a week prior, Zoi, appear beside the still quite motionless Deite.

Zoi merely gazed upon each female with a neutral expression, before slowly raising a gloved hand into the air, which naturally immediately made Sailors Jupiter and Meridian spring to their feet within preparation for attack.

However, nothing ever came, as instead Zoi appeared to use his own magical capabilities to teleport his fallen comrade's broken form into his now outstretched arms.

Without so much as a word both he and Deite were suddenly gone, only Zoi's now signature, wavy mist of dark violet energy left within their wake.

"H-Hey, _what?_ " was all Sailormeridian could manage, feeling both simultaneously confused, yet greatly alleviated that at least _one_ of the Dark Generals appeared to have enough sense within him not to continue battle against their mutual foes who _still_ outnumbered them, even with Taranee currently out of commission.

Apparently deeming the coast, and overall situation to at last be clear, Sailor V finally lowered her guard long enough to turn to face the group of women behind her.

Sailormeridian honestly expected to see a relieved smile upon her personal heroine's face, followed by a verbal pat upon the shoulder for successfully doing as she'd earlier been told.

Instead, however, the shorter blonde let out a quiet gasp, as she suddenly felt even smaller than she usually would, as she watched as Sailor V coolly walked past both Guardian Soldiers and Csilla with a stern frown partially hidden behind the bold, deep lavender Venusian mask placed firmly upon her face.

". . . . I can see why you're all so sure that she might be our princess," Sailorjupiter quietly whispered to herself, not terribly impressed with the lengthy blonde's sudden change within attitude, although not honestly offended by it, as returning her attention back onto her _actual_ comrade, Taranee, was far more important.

Not to either Sailormeridian, or Csilla, however, as both suddenly took off after the retreating woman, managing to catch up to her just as she had rounded the nearby corner.

"S-Sailor V, wait! What's the matter? We _won!_ " the dishwater blonde stated with an uneasy smile, both she and Csilla not fully understanding what it was which had their potential monarch so bent out of shape.

That is, until at last she spoke.

"An _extremely_ narrow victory, you mean, all because you'd _hesitated_ for far too long," Sailor V returned evenly with yet another deep glower, as she turned back around to share it with the other women before her. "If you had healed them _right_ when Csilla had first told you to do so, Sailormars might have been awake by now. _Moreover_ , if _she_ had not been so gullible enough and _smitten_ to fall for Deite's glamored trickery, _none_ of this would have even occurred!"

For a brief, fleeting moment, Sailor V, herself, actually appeared deeply bothered by her own words, especially the last of them, as her facial expression softened into what looked like genuine, personal concern for the Guardian Soldier of Fiery Passion and Wisdom, despite never previously meeting before now.

It was gone as soon as it appeared, however, effortlessly washed away from view and replaced with yet another admonishing stare, as Sailor V pressed on before either Sailormeridian or Csilla could speak up, although it did not honestly look as though neither wished to make the attempt, regardless.

"This time it was pure _luck_ that everyone survived, and right when I was honestly beginning to believe that each of you have made great strides as Guardian Soldiers – You, _especially_ , Sailormeridian!" the taller blonde continued to reprimand, turning on her heel as she began her renewed exit, before quickly adding, "I'm not always going to be there, 'on call' to intervene, like today. I have my _own_ affairs to contend with. . . . Csilla, I expect you to train these girls _a lot_ harder from now on . . . that is, if you wish to stand a chance against the Dark Kingdom from here on out. . . ."

And with that, Sailor V finally took her leave, breaking out into a light jog as she confidently maneuvered the rest of the way out of _Angel Park's_ fun house maze, and onto places unknown. . . .

Despite currently feeling rather abashed due to that unexpected tongue lashing, Csilla was the first to find her voice, nodding slowly as her tiny, blue-grayish ears began to hang low within shame.

"I . . . Sailor V has a point, and . . . I'm sorry for it, Sailormeridian. . . . I honestly believed that I was guiding each of you girls along as soundly as possible, but . . . perhaps I _should_ find a way to push you all a bit more, _and_ much more effectively, this time," the sapient feline apologized quietly, clearly taking Sailor V's words dearly to heart most . . . because if any of her charges had perished during battle, it ultimately _would_ have been Csilla's fault, due to her overall poor tutelage. . . .

Sailormeridian, still reeling a bit at having been told off by a person she still held within the highest regard all the same, shook her head at this, offering a weak smile of reassurance toward her furry friend.

"N-No, Csilla . . . Sailor V _was_ right, but . . . she was right about _me_. . . . I _did_ hesitate way too long before acting, and right when it truly mattered," she stated softly, swallowing hard as her mind fought against reliving those deadly moments all over again.

"But you made your move and saved them _both_ , so that's all that truly matters. Forget about what 'The Maybe-Princess' said," Sailorjupiter chimed in from behind, suddenly appearing from around the corner with Taranee, as well as Alchemy gingerly secured within each of her strong arms with ease, both girls thankfully now awake, although not completely.

Sailormeridian's eyes immediately lit up with utter elation, hers, and perhaps even Csilla's own personal woes falling into the background, at least for now, as the pair rushed to the redhead's side.

"Oh! Taranee! Alchemy! You're both awake, and okay! I'm so relieved!" she gushed, reaching out to take Taranee into her arms this time, while Sailorjupiter maintained her firm, yet gentle grasp upon the auburn haired girl, who could barely keep her eyes open as she gazed confusedly about her surroundings.

"Shh, shh . . . don't try to speak, Taranee. . . . We'd better hurry and get them some proper medical attention, now, girls," Csilla quietly advised, lulling the still terribly weakened intellectual pupil back into silence upon catching her attempt to speak.

As all five females made the trek back out of the mirrored maze as quickly as they could (with Csilla leading the charge and both Sailors Jupiter and Meridian receiving the hesitant, although granted 'O.K.' from her to go ahead and de-transform before exiting, in spite of their civilian, Alchemy, still being present among them), they were currently being watched, unbeknownst them, from afar by a familiar, and currently quite afflicted presence.

". . . . Thank God she made it out of there," Caleb murmured to himself, watching from a safe distance and with a concerned frown upon his face as a small, but growing group of equally concerned fellow park goers rapidly descended upon Elyon and her friends.

Their collective strength appeared to give out right within that moment, as Caleb was only just able to catch sight of the quartet of girls collapse onto the ground, before those willing to assist them immediately took over and presumably called them an ambulance.

A rather large part of him felt extremely guilt-ridden for not going after Elyon as Tuxedo Kamen as he normally would have (especially given that his suit was once again at the ready within his car, thanks to Cedric having repaired his 'costume' for him earlier within the week), instead choosing to let the petite teenager fight her own battle simply because he now knew her to be Sailormeridian . . . a fact which still admittedly bothered him greatly.

The thought to 'do the right thing' honestly had crossed his mind several times since the very moment Sailormeridian had left his sight, even following after her, albeit slowly, as he continued to struggle over his ultimate decision.

And he truly was about to go in to help within any way possible, when the sudden and unexpected appearance of Sailor V charging into the 'House of Mirrors' building after the fellow super heroine abruptly stopped him from doing so.

_. . . . When I saw Sailor V go in, I honestly thought that Sailormeridian would be all right . . . but now it seems like my hesitance to help, in spite of whom she turned out to be, has her paying the price_ , Caleb silently lamented, continually feeling uncharacteristically affected by the current turn of events.

He looked on for a few moments more, no longer able to see any one of Elyon's companions, nor herself anywhere, before abruptly turning within the opposite direction and began to make a hasty exit out of the vicinity, and at last out of the amusement park, altogether. . . .

**-** **End of Act 6**


End file.
